Before the Order
by saiyanwizard
Summary: Dumbledore told Sirius to lie low at Lupin's for a while at the end of Harry's fourth year. What happened to him before the rising of the second Order of the Phoenix? Contains no slash.
1. Chapter 1: Dog on the Doorstep

**Summary: **Dumbledore told Sirius to "lie low at Lupin's for a while" at the end of Harry's fourth year. What happened to Sirius before the rising of a second Order of the Phoenix? No slash!

**Disclaimer:** All characters, magical places, and everything else out of the Harry Potter series was created and is owned by the wonderful J.K. Rowling. It's all hers! None of it is mine!

Hey guys, I'm back! I'm back and ready to go!

I've just finished up _The Easter Holiday_, but I still wanna give you guys something. I just added on my next story, _The Burdens of a Lioness_, and I'm adding this one, _Before the Order._ Hope you guys aren't getting sick of me!

Anyway, this story should give you a look at what I think happened at the end of Harry's fourth year. Hope you like this one!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 1: Dog on the Doorstep

Remus Lupin's eyes fluttered open to the dreary blackness spilling into his small flat. The hard downpour of rain splashed loudly against the roof and the windows, making everything shake slightly. Yawning loudly, the wizard stretched, sat up, and looked around the room.

In addition to being small, the flat was rather shabby. The rug in front of the heart was fraying, the wood floor was in need of a good waxing, and the once green wallpaper was fading. Despite the worn state of the room, it was kept extremely tidy: the floor was swept, all the furniture was dusted, and everything was neatly put in its own place. Remus bent over and picked up his old copy of _Defensive Spells for Dark Times_ that he had been reading before he had fallen asleep. Setting it on the scratched coffee table, he stood up and walked into his kitchen.

Remus pulled out his wand and tapped an old kettle sitting on the stove, which proceeded to whistle loudly. He pulled a blue patterned teacup out from the cupboard and poured himself tea. He sighed happily as the warm liquid trickled down his insides.

Walking into his bedroom, he set down his teacup and began to change into his pajamas. He had just pulled on his nightshirt when he heard something knock against his door. _I'm probably hearing things because the rain is so loud,_ he thought. Sitting on his bed, he heard a knock again. And again. And again. And then he heard it: a soft whimpering that sounded oddly like…

Slightly curious, Remus stood up and walked into the living room. The knocking, which was at first very rapid, was beginning to slow down. With his curiosity growing by the second, he turned the rusty brass knob and opened his front door.

A tall, thin figure was standing in front of him. Clad in black robes, the man had shoulder-length black hair. His arm had a long cut on it, and he was completely soaked in rainwater. Remus looked into the weary eyes of his best friend Sirius Black, whom he had not seen in nearly a year. "Sirius!"

"Moony, I – "

"Wait, come in first, Padfoot," he said, pulling the man out of the rain. Sirius was apparently very weak because his knees buckled under him, and he had to grab onto the front of Remus' shirt.

"What happened to you, Padfoot?" he asked, pulling Sirius back onto his feet.

"He's back," said the drenched wizard in an extremely hoarse voice.

"What?" asked Remus, who had begun to peel of Sirius' soaked robes.

"Voldemort's back," said Sirius as he began to shake.

Remus froze. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Harry saw him come back."

"He saw him come back?"

"Yeah. The Triwizard Cup was a Portkey. It took him and another kid to some graveyard, and Voldemort gained a new body."

"I see. You'll have to fill me in on the other details, but that can wait until tomorrow. Right now we have to get you out of these wet clothes. Here," he said, summoning dry clothing from his room, "I'll be right back. Change into this while I'm gone."

Remus stood up and strode into his bedroom. He searched through his dresser for a while, but did not find what he was looking for. Instead, he got up and walked into the bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet, he shifted a few bottles around before he pulled out a healing salve.

He walked back into the living room and saw his friend sitting on the ground in a dark blue shirt and long black pants, his wet clothes left forgotten in a sopping heap by the door. The clothes sprang up and moved to dry in front of the fire with the flick of Remus' wand. Sitting in front of his friend, he gently brought Sirius' cut up arm towards him. He applied a thin layer of the healing salve before bandaging the arm with another flick of his wand.

"Would you like something to eat?" asked Remus, summoning a towel from the bathroom.

"No, thank you," he rasped, his eyelids beginning to droop.

Remus sighed disapprovingly, but said nothing more. He toweled down Sirius' dripping hair so that his shirt would not get wet. He then summoned a comb from the bathroom and ran it through his friend's hair, quickly getting rid of any tangles. Remus stood up and hung the towel over a chair. Banishing the comb back to the bathroom, he walked back to Sirius and pulled him to his feet.

Getting him to stand proved difficult. Remus could tell that he was trying to stay up, but Sirius' knees kept buckling under him. Rather than make his friend struggle, Remus scooped him up in his arms. If he noticed this act, Sirius, who was extremely light for a man his age, showed no sign of protest. Remus walked into his bedroom and sat his friend on the edge of the bed. Pulling back the sheets, he slipped the thin man under the covers. He brought the blankets up to Sirius' neck, and Remus heard his friend whisper softly. "Thanks, Moony."

"It's no problem, Padfoot. Just rest now. You can tell me everything when you wake up."

"Okay," mumbled Sirius, "good night." He snuggled into the pillow and quickly drifted off.

Smiling at his friend's sleeping figure, he strode across the room and opened the closet. Reaching up to the top shelf, he pulled down a pillow and a thick blanket. Remus walked into the living room and tossed the pillow and blanket onto the couch. He sat down and slipped under the blanket, sighing happily because of the extra warmth provided by the fire. Putting his head on the pillow, his eyelids drooped as the gentle crackling of the dying fire soothed him into a much-needed sleep.

Please Review! I really wanna know what you guys think about chapter one, and it fills me with great joy to hear from you! Oh, and for all of you that thought this chapter was too short, chapter two will be much longer!


	2. Chapter 2: Chocolate

**Disclaimer:**

There once was a lady named J.K. Rowling,  
Who wrote of wizards, ghosts, and magical creatures prowling.  
Her tale raised her to popularity and fame,  
Without Harry Potter, we'd never be the same.

We'd never be the same without her tale,  
Which has been esteemed and praised off the scale!  
This magnificent work belongs to her,  
If I said it was mine, think of the trouble I'd stir!

_**Comments**_

**Xtin2000:** Yep, chapter two is pretty long (it's longer than some of the one-shots I've written). And yeah, Sirius is kinda sick. Good thing he's got Remus to take care of him!

**InuKayko:** What happened to Padfoot's arm, you ask? Well, I can't say now, but I promise that you'll find out in chapter three (I think)!

**jojo:** Yeah, I guess I've always wanted to read non-slash "lie low at Lupin's for a while" stories, but I'm never able to find too many. So, I decided to write one myself! You're gonna hunt me down if I don't update soon? Well good! I need someone like you to make sure I update regularly. Thanks!

**Carnivalgirl:** I've done the characters well? Really? Thanks so much! You see, I kinda have this problem of making some of my adult characters sound a little "teenagish," so I'm thrilled that you like my portrayals of them. Thanks for your review!

**Xtians Suck:** Thank you so much for letting me live! Yes, I DO NOT hate homosexuals, and I DO NOT hate slash authors. I respect the authors on FFN, even if they have a different writing style than me, because I know that it takes a lot of guts to post what you've written and submit it to the possibility of other people's criticism.

**GMUXMenSoaps:** You spelled Marauder correctly, so don't worry. I kinda like Marauder stories, too! Thank you for reviewing!

**Neurotica:** Yeah, I believe that now that Remus and Sirius know that Peter was the spy, they'll go back to being the great friends they were in school (even though they'll have to deal with the changes that both of them went through while they were separated all those years).

**LupinLover88: **An excellent question. However, Dumbledore didn't just tell Sirius to "lie low at Lupin's for a while." According to page 713 of _Goblet of Fire_, Dumbledore said "Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there." So you see, Sirius probably wouldn't just Apparate to Remus' before alerting the others (it would save time to go to Remus' last). Also, I've heard that Apparation can be tracked (I could be wrong), and seeing as he is still a wanted criminal, I'd imagine the Ministry would try to find him if he Apparated. And you're right; Remus and Sirius probably did stay in touch, but I don't think they would have actually been able to _see_ each other. It would probably be too risky for Sirius to make regular visits. Thanks for your review!

**Writer-by-day: **You likee? I likee that you likee! Next chapter, please? Here you go!

Hey guys! I was so grateful that you all were so supportive of my first chapter! When I went on this morning, I had five reviews. I then went to "Documents" for three minutes to upload chapter two, and when I came back to "Stats," there was seven reviews. Being my usual self, I went "WHOA!" and overreacted. When I saw ten reviews, I sat in my computer chair and went "Wow, they like me!" You see, I didn't know how readers would take to this story. I hardly see any non-slash stories of Remus and Sirius, and I was worried I'd get a lot of flames or negative remarks from people like **Yikes **(if you don't know what I'm referring to, you can check out **Yikes**' review on _The Burdens of a Lioness _if you're interested). I really appreciate all the reviews you guys gave me!

And now for the _very long_ chapter two!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 2: Chocolate

Sirius Black opened his eyes wearily. He tried to roll over onto his back, but his body would not listen to him. Rather than struggling, he closed his eyes lazily and tried to figure out where he was. It was rather dark when he opened his eyes, but, for some reason, he could tell that it was daytime. He could hear the downpour of rain splashing against the roof and windows. Then he remembered: he was at Remus' place.

He tried to roll onto his back again, but his muscles constricted, and he groaned miserably, nearly falling off the side of the bed. He struggled to push himself away from the edge of the bed, but only succeeded in shifting himself a few inches.

"Are you up, Padfoot?" asked Remus, sticking his head out from behind the door.

"Yeah. Hey, what time is it, Moony?"

Remus consulted his watch. "It's almost four."

"A.M.?"

"P.M."

"Oh. Why is it so dark?"

"It seems you brought a storm along with you," said Remus, entering the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "The weather's been like this since last night."

"How long have I been asleep for?"

"Hmmm. I'd say about seventeen hours now."

"No wonder I feel like crap," said Sirius, finally able to roll over onto his back.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"No," he said, hoarsely, closing his eyes.

"Sirius – "

"Please don't, Moony. I'm sure you wouldn't like to have the privilege of witnessing me puking my guts out on your floor."

Remus smiled. "It's not as if it hasn't happened before."

Sirius grinned. "Shut up. I was sick with the flu that time."

"Oh, relax, Padfoot. It's not like you were the only one. We all did at our graduation party."

"Which one? If I recall, we had four."

"Well, let's see. Peter did it at all four parties." Sirius glared briefly at the memory of their former friend. "You and James did it twice, once at the Hogwarts party and once here, but you were fortunately outside my house. And I did once with you two here."

"And remind me why we threw up at the party here again?" he asked, sitting up.

"We were playing Truth or Dare, and somehow Peter dared the three of us to drink two cups of milk and run around the open fields surrounding this house a dozen times."

"Oh, yeah! Didn't we make him do it, too? And when he barfed, we called it something else. Didn't we use the Muggle science name for puking your guts out? What was it?"

"Reverse peristalsis."

"That's right. And you brought up that term, didn't you?" Remus smiled. "You're such a bookworm, Moony!" he said, throwing his pillow at the werewolf.

"Hey, no throwing things in my house, Padfoot!"

"Since when?"

"Since you and James nearly broke my neck throwing around that vase you stole from your house."

"Hey, I didn't steal it! My dear old hag of a mum threw it at me when I left, so I took it as a goodbye present from her."

"Last time I checked, gifts were not presented to a person by chucking it across the room at their head."

"Yeah, well, you know my mum," said Sirius, glumly, "she likes to throw things."

Remus studied his friend for a moment. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"Moony, would you stop acting like Madam Pomfrey! I already told you that I was gonna puke all over your floor if I ate anything!"

"Oh, stop with the puking already! Sirius, you have to eat something. I won't have you drop dead of starvation in my house."

"What do I have to eat?" asked the Animagus cautiously.

"I don't know; toast, pasta, chicken, a sandwich, chocolate – "

"Chocolate? You would let me eat chocolate?"

"Well, as I always say, chocolate _is_ the best medicine."

"Okay."

Remus stood up and walked toward the other side of the room. Seeing that Sirius was watching him, he turned and said, "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"I don't need you finding out where I keep my chocolate."

"Why, afraid I'm gonna steal from your stash?"

"Yeah, like that vase you stole."

"I didn't steal it!" exclaimed Sirius, closing his eyes. He heard a faint shuffling of items coming from the other side of the room, but it was not loud enough for him to discern where it was coming from.

"Here," said Remus, tossing half a dozen Chocolate Frogs onto the bed. "This should hold you off until dinner," he said, unwrapping a Frog.

"Whoa, where'd you get these? Did you go trick-or-treating?"

"Please, it's June, Padfoot. I can't go trick-or-treating at this time of year. Besides, I haven't done that for a long time now."

"Right," he said, biting off the Frog's head.

"Now, Sirius," said the werewolf, sitting back down on the edge of the bed, "I think you should tell me what happened at Hogwarts."

"Well, that is what I came to do," sighed the Animagus. "Now, where to begin. Well, the Third Task was taking place. I was sitting in Hagrid's pumpkin patch as Snuffles – "

"As who?" cut in Remus.

"Snuffles. I told Harry and his friends to refer to me as Snuffles so as not to attract attention. Anyway, I was in Hagrid's pumpkin patch, and McGonagall came down and told me that Dumbledore wanted me up in his office. I knew something was wrong then, and I was pacing for quite awhile in his office before he and Harry came up. You should have seen him, Remus," he said, drawing his knees into his chest. "He looked so lost, so scared, so…helpless."

Sirius gave a shudder, and the werewolf put a hand on his shoulder. "What did they tell you?" pressed Remus, gently.

"Well, the Third Task for the tournament was a giant hedge maze. The Triwizard Cup was placed in the center, and the first to reach it would receive full marks. Only thing was, the cup was a Portkey."

"What? But how? Someone at Hogwarts would have had to – "

"Make it into a Portkey, yes. This is where the fun begins. To figure this out, we have to go back to the trials of Barty Crouch Jr."

"What? But why?"

"You remember how he died shortly afterward?"

"Yes."

"That wasn't him. He switched places with his mother. It was her dying wish; she was sick to begin with. So she died, and her son's been living at home ever since."

Remus stared, shocked. Sirius took this as an invitation to continue. "So anyway, fast-forward to last summer. Pettigrew's been taking care of what's left of Voldemort ever since he escaped. Somewhere in Albania. One night, the little rat came across Bertha Jorkins on her vacation. Pettigrew brought her back to his master, and Voldemort was able to get a lot of information out of her about the Triwizard Tournament taking place this year. He also found out that Crouch Jr. was still alive; apparently Bertha caught wind of him when she visited her boss one day. Old Crouch put a Memory Charm on her, and Voldemort broke it that night. So after he had her killed, Voldemort was able to get to Crouch Jr. and set him up at Hogwarts. Remember how Mad-Eye was attacked last summer?" Remus nodded. "Crouch Jr. subdued him into one of the compartments of his trunk. He's been impersonating Moody using the Polyjuice Potion and was able to turn the cup into a Portkey."

"Where did the cup take him?" whispered Remus.

"Took him and the other Hogwarts champion to a graveyard. Voldemort had the other student killed right away. Pettigrew helped him make some kind of potion that gave him a body. He had Pettigrew cut off his hand, and he also had to use a bone from his father's grave."

"That explains the graveyard, then. Did he use anything else?"

"Harry's blood."

"What!"

"Apparently he could have used almost any other person's blood. I think it only had to be the blood of an enemy, but by using Harry's blood, Lily's protection has extended to Voldemort now. He can touch Harry without feeling any pain."

Remus put his head in his hands. "Great."

"I know."

"I'm almost too afraid to ask, but what happened next?"

"Well, to sum it all up, Voldemort's gained a new body, and Harry dueled with him." The werewolf gasped. "Yeah, Harry was struck with the Cruciatus Curse. At some point in the fight, their wands did something funny. Dumbledore said it was a reaction similar to _Priori Incantatem_. The ghosts of Voldemort's spells started coming out of his wand; all the people he killed. The student, some old Muggle, Bertha Jorkins, and then, of course…James and Lily."

"What?"

"I know it's weird. I'm not sure if I even understand it. The ghost things were somehow able to stall Voldemort for a brief moment so Harry could escape. Harry grabbed the boy's body and touched the cup."

"Do you know who the student was, Padfoot?" asked Remus, softly.

"I think it was…Diggory, I believe."

Remus sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"I take it you knew him?" asked Sirius.

"He was one of my students. Quite possibly one of the finest Hufflepuff had to offer."

"Really now?" said the Animagus. "That's a shame."

"I'm sure his parents must be devastated. I assume they were there?"

"Yes. There was quite a lot of commotion after, though. I don't think they were able to find out right away. I heard people were spilling out onto the Quidditch field – that's where they had the Third task. Crouch Jr. used the ruckus to drag Harry off to his office. He tried to do him in, but Dumbledore showed up with McGonagall and Snape to save him. They interrogated him with Veritaserum before contacting Fudge and the Ministry, who botched things up anyway. Crouch was Kissed," said Sirius, finishing with a shudder.

The two stayed silent for a long time, thinking about what was just discussed. The werewolf was the first to speak. "I don't know what to say. I'm…speechless."

"It's a lot to digest, I know. It's a lot to talk about. I was having trouble, too. But basically what it means is that the Order of the Phoenix will be getting back together again, and very soon."

"I see. So you're alerting everyone?"

"Yeah. You were the last one on my list, and it's a good thing, too; I don't know how much longer I could have survived out in the rain – achoo!"

"Getting sick, are we?" said Remus with concern.

"No, I'm fi – achoo!"

"No, you're not fine, Padfoot; you've got a fever," said the werewolf, feeling his forehead. "You should rest again until dinner."

"But I'm not tired," said the Animagus, his eyelids beginning to droop.

"Just try to sleep a bit more," said Remus, helping him to lie back down.

"All right. Just remember to wake me up when dinner's ready."

"I will. Or maybe I won't have to; knowing you, you'll wake up as soon as you smell food."

Sirius smiled, closing his eyes and snuggling into the pillow. "Shut up."

"Sleep well, Padfoot." The Animagus' breathing slowed almost instantly as he fell into dreamland. Remus smiled, shutting the door quietly behind himself.

---------------------

Please review and let me know how you think the story is going. I'd really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Harry Potter, Al Gore would have invented the internet…If I owned Harry Potter, Starbucks would go bankrupt…If I owned Harry Potter, there would be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…If I owned – oh, heck – you get the idea…

_**Comments**_

**excessivelyperky:** Sorry chapter one was so short…I'll try to write longer chapters!

**GMUXMenSoaps:** Thanks for your review! Friendship stories are great!

**InuKayko: **Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really glad you appreciate this story. I will definitely try to keep updating frequently because of the support I am getting from readers. Thanks again!

**Neurotica: **"Remus is as much of a mother hen as Molly Weasley." Absolutely! And Mrs. Black would just love to have an excuse to throw something at her beloved son! Glad you love it, and here's your next update!

**Elfsong: **Will Sirius be a quiet or a cranky sick person? You'll just have to keep reading to find out! Oh, and thanks so much for your suggestions; I will definitely take them into account when I'm writing future chapters. Thanks again!

**jojo: **Don't worry; I'm sure you're a very nice person :). I just appreciate you "threatening" me so I can continue to update!

**Raksha:** Never fear, I will keep this story going! I'm not sure how long I'll keep it going for, but I'll try to make it as long as possible…

**Xtin2000: **I tried to have a serious/hilarious conversation between Sirius and Remus, and I was hoping that it turned out okay (I guess it did). I'm glad you're keeping up with this story. I too also like it when authors can post often, but I also know how hard it is to maintain a constant flow of material for the readers. I'll try to keep it coming. Thanks!

**Alesia G: **Yes, Remus would be the neat one. I dunno if Sirius is a slob, but I KNOW he's not very neat :). I'm glad you like the interaction between Remus and Sirius; I'll try to stay consistent with it. Thanks for your review!

**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana:** Thank you for your comment about my characterizations! They were kinda hard to do at first, but now it flows a bit better. Sorry, no slash in sight, but I'll hope you'll stick with me and my story!

Hey guys!

Thanks to all those that reviewed; you guys motivate me to write more!

And now for chapter three (sorry it's kinda short)!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 3: Dinner

Sirius Black woke up to the smell of something _very_ good. _Darn it,_ he thought, groggily._ Moony was right; I do wake up at the smell of food._ He rolled over onto his back, still feeling the ache in his muscles. Pushing himself up slowly, the Animagus clutched his head as he was captured by dizziness. Sirius swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, swaying slightly. He stumbled into the kitchen. The Animagus plopped down into a chair and laid his head in his arms on the table.

"Don't you want to sleep a bit more?" asked Remus Lupin, stirring a pot.

"No, the call of food is greater, now that I'm sure I'm not going to commit reverse peraclesiastis all over your floor."

"It's reverse peristalsis, Padfoot."

"Whatever."

The werewolf ladled out two bowls of thick stew and brought them to the table. "Be careful," he said, sliding a bowl towards his friend. "It's hot."

"Thanks, Moony," said Sirius, hoarsely. He picked up a spoon and dipped it into the stew, gently blowing on the thick liquid before putting the spoon in his mouth. He sighed happily as the warm stew slid down his throat and into his stomach.

"So Padfoot," said Remus, sitting down to eat, "how did you get that cut on your arm?"

"Well, it's pretty dangerous for me to Apparate right now, considering I'm a wanted raving lunatic." He smiled. "I had to make my rounds on foot, which is why it took me so long to get here. Anyway, I've been going through the Muggle villages, and I guess this one hunter thought I would be a nice catch. Probably thought I was a bear. I let him chase me for a bit, and he eventually got tired and shot at me. I dodged it, but the ground was muddy and wet. I ended up slipping, and my arm grazed some barbed fence."

"Grazed? Try rammed into."

The Animagus laughed. "Grazed, rammed into, slashed up, whatever. At least the quick thinking and skilled hand of Dr. Lupin was able to save my life."

"If it wasn't for the fact that I told you that you were not allowed to throw things in this house, I would throw my spoon at you. But then again, maybe I would just fling some stew at you; if I threw my spoon at you, I wouldn't have anything to eat with."

"Aww, Remus, such the perfect little Prefect! You'd make the headmaster proud, you know."

"Speaking of the headmaster, what did he say to the Minister of Magic? He was at the tournament, right?"

"Well, once he had Crouch Kissed, the minister came up to the hospital wing. Or rather boomed into it. McGonagall was furious that Fudge brought Dementors into the school; you know how much Dumbledore hates them. Anyway, those two and Snape came in shortly before Dumbledore did, and of course he was angry at all the noise they were making. Harry was given a Dreamless Sleep Potion a few hours earlier, but woke up because of all the ruckus. Dumbledore was trying to get it through Fudge's thick skull that Voldemort was back, but he wouldn't listen. Harry tried to help, too, by naming the Death Eaters that were at the graveyard, but the Minister's been reading the rubbish that that Skeeter woman's been putting out in the _Prophet_, so he thinks Harry's a raving lunatic. Snape even tried to convince him. I guess the Death Eaters all have the Dark Mark tattooed on their left forearm, and it burns black when they're summoned by Voldemort. He showed Fudge, who of course didn't buy it. The Minister pretty much accused them all of being nutters and said that Dumbledore was trying to work against him – "

Sirius broke into a fit of coughs. Remus pushed a glass of water towards him, and the Animagus took it gratefully. "Don't overdo it, Padfoot," whispered the werewolf, softly.

"Don't worry, Moony. I'm fine. Besides, I'm almost done. Anyway, Dumbledore told him that they were both on the same side if they were both against Voldemort. Fudge got angry and left the ward. Dumbledore sent McGonagall to bring Hagrid and Maxime, the Beauxbatons headmistress, to his office. And I think Madam Pomfrey was sent down to Moody's office. Anyway, Dumbledore had me resume my usual form. It was kind of funny, actually. Molly Weasley still thought I was a murderer and was probably ready to hex her, but her son told her it was okay. And Snape was furious. Probably would have hexed me if he was given the chance. Anyway, Snape and I shook hands," he said, a look of disgust on his face. "Dumbledore made us."

Remus smiled. "I'm sure you enjoyed that."

"Highlight of the night."

"He's really not that bad, Sirius."

"Whatever. Anyway, that's when Dumbledore sent me off to alert all the old Order members. And he told me – " He broke into another coughing fit. The werewolf reached over and rubbed his back gently as the Animagus took a few sips of water. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse and raspy. "He told me to lie low at your place and that he would contact me here. I hope you don't mind. If you do, I could – "

"Of course I don't mind, Padfoot! I wouldn't send you away, and definitely not back into that storm," he said as it started to rain hard.

"Thanks, Moony," said Sirius, making to put his bowl in the sink.

"I'll get it," said Remus, taking his friend's bowl. "And you're very welcome, Padfoot."

The Animagus put his head in his arms. "Merlin, I'm tired," he mumbled.

"Why don't you go back to sleep, then?"

"I am."

"Well, you can't sleep on my table."

"Why not?"

"I eat here!" said the werewolf, smiling. "Come on, Padfoot, the bedroom's not far away." He paused for a moment. "Do I have to levitate you?"

Sirius stood up abruptly. _Guess that did it, _thought Remus. The Animagus swayed and latched onto the table for support. The werewolf grabbed his friend by the elbows and steered him into the bedroom. Sirius flopped onto the bed and snuggled into the pillows happily. "Good night, Padfoot."

"Good night, Moony."

"I'll see you tomorrow when you wake up at the smell of breakfast."

"Moony?"

"Yes, Padfoot?"

"Shut up."

------------------

Well, what'dya think? Sorry this chapter was kinda short. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4: The Nightmare

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter. The only way that would be possible is if I owned J.K. Rowling, and that's _far_ from the case.

_**Comments**_

**Neurotica:** Yes, banter between Sirius and Remus is fun to read and write. I find it a lot easier to write than, say, banter between Albus and Minerva. That's just my opinion, though (I think it's easier to be funny with Sirius and Remus). I think Remus probably has levitated Sirius before (that time he was sick with the flu at Remus' as mentioned in chapter two), and I also believe that Sirius doesn't like being levitated by anyone, not just Remus (I guess he might think it's a sign of weakness or vulnerability to be levitated). Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Xtin2000: **I hope I'll have a lot of chapters posted when you return, and I thank you for all your support!

**GMUXMenSoaps: **I seem to like to have Sirius telling Remus to shut up every once in a while. I think it really gives them a brotherly relationship. :)

**InuKayko:** Thank you so much! I am so honored that you like this story so much! I'm so happy! Here's chapter four!

**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana:** Yeah, sorry for the short chapter (hope its shortness wasn't too depressing).

**jojo: **Thanks for promising to hunt me down again! Glad to have you keeping me on my toes:)

**Alesia G:** Yeah, I'm rereading _Goblet of Fire_ again (only for the eighth time, though…I don't have a lot of time to reread anymore…) so I can refresh my memory before _Half-Blood Prince_ comes out.

**Carnivalgirl:** Am I gonna do the whole werewolf law thingy? That would be something to talk about, wouldn't it? I like that idea! I'll be sure to incorporate that into future chapters. Thanks!

**Elfsong: **Sorry, but to be fair, I can't give any hints (that would be favoritism :p). I'm sure you understand :). Sirius/Remus interaction is great, and you're sure gonna get some in this chapter!

Hey mates!

Thanks to all that read and reviewed! Remember, all reviews are appreciated! Also, I find a lot of the stories I read by searching through the works of those that review, so if you want me to read something you've written, you can always make a request!

Anyway, now for chapter four! Sorry if it's a bit of sentimental mush!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 4: The Nightmare

Remus Lupin's eyes snapped open as he was woken by the sound of screaming. "STOP! PLEASE DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, I BEG YOU! STOP, PLEASE!" The werewolf scrambled off the couch and ran into his room. He arrived just in time to see Sirius Black's thrashing figure fall over the edge of his bed. Remus walked around to the other side to help his friend back up, but when he reached out, the Animagus crawled under the bed and curled up into a trembling ball of fear.

"Sirius, it's me! Come here," said the werewolf, bending down to look under the bed.

The Animagus' hands were woven through his hair, his eyes were tightly shut, and he was shaking his head. "No, please," he whimpered.

"Padfoot," said Remus, now fully lying on the ground. "Padfoot, it's okay. It's only me. There's nothing here to hurt you."

"M-Moony?"

"Yes, Padfoot, it's Moony. Why don't you come out from under the bed?" he whispered. "I won't let anything hurt you."

Sirius scrambled out from under the bed and latched onto the werewolf, hanging on for dear life. The two wizards were in a rather awkward position; they were both lying on the floor, the trembling Animagus wrapped Remus' embrace. "I-I'm sorry, Moony, I – "

"It's okay, Sirius. What happened?"

"I was at Hogwarts again," he whispered. "By the lake, the night we found Peter. The Dementors were there. They kept coming closer. I couldn't do anything about it."

"It's okay, Padfoot, it was only a dream – "

"No it's not," he said, his breathing ragged. "W-what if they're coming here to find me? That would put you in danger, you could be accused of being an accomplice to a mass murderer, and they – "

"Sirius," said the werewolf. "Sirius, look at me."

The Animagus slowly brought his eyes up and was met by his friend's amber stare. "The Dementors are not coming here," said Remus as he began to stroke Sirius' hair. "And even if they were, I would not let them lay a hand on you. They can't get you; not while I'm here."

The Animagus buried his head in the werewolf's chest. "Thanks, Remus," he said, hoarsely.

"Of course. Now, what do you say we get you back to bed?"

"No!" said Sirius, latching on to the werewolf again. "I mean, not yet. I'm really sorry if you think I'm acting like a child, but please."

"Calm down, Padfoot," soothed Remus, stroking his hair again. "I won't leave you."

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be; I understand. I know what it's like to be alone when you're scared. I was always alone until you, James, and Peter came along. You were there when I needed you, and I'll be here for you."

"No, I wasn't. I wasn't here for you for over fourteen years, and I'm sorry, Moony, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Padfoot. It wasn't your fault – "

"Yes, it was. It's my fault Peter was able to sell out James and Lily to Voldemort, which also makes it my fault that Harry had to grow up with those Muggles. It's my fault I let Peter outsmart me and get me landed in that hell hole." He shivered. "It's my fault that I couldn't be here for you – "

"Stop it, Sirius. Just stop. Don't blame yourself for what you had no control over. None of us suspected Peter."

"But I suspected you – "

"And I suspected you. We all made bad judgment calls. If anyone's to blame, it's Voldemort, not you."

"But – "

"No buts. I won't have you blaming yourself. This is still my house, remember?"

"How could I forget?" he said, sniffling.

Remus looked down at his friend and saw a single tear run down his cheek. The werewolf brushed it away with his thumb. "It's okay, Padfoot. You can cry if you want to."

Another tear rolled down his cheek. "I don't really want to; I haven't for nearly fifteen years," he whispered, hoarsely. He was trembling again. Another tear fell. And another. And another. "But I can't help it."

Remus pulled him in closer, letting Sirius bury his head in his neck. "It's okay. Let it all out. I'm here."

The Animagus obeyed his friend; all the pain, sorrow, fear, worry, frustration, and exhaustion of the past fourteen years came flooding out. His unshed tears for the deaths of Lily and James, for his suspicion of Remus, for his false trust in Peter, for the twelve years of his life that were wasted rotting in Azkaban spilled uncontrollably out of his eyes. The werewolf stroked Sirius' black hair and rubbed the sobbing man's back, muttering soothing words into his ear.

"I'm sorry," muttered the Animagus after what seemed like forever to him.

"Don't be sorry," insisted Remus. "There's nothing wrong with crying."

Sirius hesitated before whispering, "Do you cry?"

The werewolf smiled. "Of course I do. I will admit it is a rare thing, but it does happen. I cried when Lily and James died. I cried when I thought Peter was gone. I cried when I thought I'd never see Harry grow up. I cried when I thought I'd lost you." He paused. "And I cried when I got you back."

"You did?"

"Yes. On the carriage ride here after I'd resigned. I was just…so happy to have my best friend back."

Sirius looked up. A single glistening tear streamed down Remus' face, but he was smiling. "Your…best friend?"

"Well, I knew you were closer to James, but I always felt happy whenever I was around you, like I could be accepted despite what I am."

"Maybe it seemed that I was closer to James, but I really valued the times I spent with you," whispered the Animagus, resting his head against the werewolf's chest again. "Sure, Prongs was always there to laugh and joke, but he had Lily. Mind you, I was glad he was so devoted to her. She deserved that, but that of course left me with myself. But you, Moony, you were always there for me. You let me rely on you, and you allowed me the privilege of knowing your secret. Mind you, I did a terrible job of respecting that privilege." He sighed, a few more tears running down his face. "But you forgave me, even when I didn't deserve it. You were…the brother I wanted to have. You were perfect, you were balanced, you knew nearly everything that was ever published in any of the Hogwarts library's books, you were at the top of the class."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "I was not. There were other students, like yourself, who kept me on my toes."

"Okay, so what if you were tied academically with Snape? He doesn't count. Anyway, even with your brain overflowing with knowledge, you still had a sense of humor. And you knew when a prank was going too far – "

"But I didn't always stop you."

"We were stupid little kids, Moony."

"You can say that again."

"We were stupid little kids, Moony."

The werewolf smiled. "Very funny."

"Anyway, I guess I'm trying to say that while James was my best friend, you were my best friend, too. Just in a different way. Our conversations were always deeper and more meaningful. Your werewolf form was similar in a sense to my own Animagus form. I guess I felt more like a member of the pack with you."

"Thanks, Padfoot. It means a lot to me."

"And thank _you_, Moony, for giving me what Regulus didn't."

The werewolf only responded by pulling Sirius tighter to him. Both were physically and emotionally exhausted, and they soon fell asleep, lying in an embrace on Remus' bedroom floor, bound together as the pack mates that had raced across the Hogwarts grounds all those years ago.

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So, how was it? Good? Bad? Did it make you wanna throw up (hope not!)? Cry? Beat your head against the wall? Please let me know; all reviews are welcome and appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5: The Owl

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter…I think. Wait, let me check…hmm…whoa…ouch!…argh!…Nope, I was right. I don't own Harry Potter.

_**Comments**_

**Alesia G:** Thank you so much for your review! I tried to give as accurate a relationship between them as I possibly could while at least trying to stick to the books, and I'm glad you appreciated it. Thanks again!

**Carnivalgirl: **I've always thought that Remus would choose Sirius as his best friend (maybe it's the canine thing…). Anyway, thanks again for your idea:)

**GMUXMenSoaps: **Yay for almost getting teary-eyed:) And yes, we just gotta love male bonding!

**InuKayko: **I'm glad you like this story, and you're right. If we were in Sirius' situation, we'd probably be in similar or worse states!

**Elfsong: **Thanks so much for your kind words! I think if I cried at stuff like this, I'd have cried too (or maybe not…because I wrote it…hmmm…)!

**Writer-by-day: **I'm glad you like my Lupin (I LOVE REMUS!). And I too am looking forward to _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ (my copy's reserved at Borders). I've gotta finish rereading _Order of the Phoenix_, though.

**jojo:** Thanks for the threats! Sorry my update took so long. You can threaten me extra today, though. I think it will help me a lot!

**grungster:** Don't worry, no offense taken! In fact, I thank you for your kind-worded review! I know that my stories are rather dramatic (maybe that's why I always laugh at them when I reread them). I'm glad you like the funny elements of my story; I think I want to write some more funniness, but I'm stewing over a few story options at the moment. Thanks again!

**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: **Sirius is always cute, even under the bed:)

Hey mates!

Sorry my update took so long! Bad me, bad me! You guys can be like **jojo** and threaten me to update if you want (Thanks again, **jojo**!). Also, thanks so much to all that read and reviewed! I love you all!

Anyway, on to chapter five! Hope you all like it!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 5: The Owl

Remus Lupin woke to a sharp tapping noise. Opening one eye, he quickly snapped it shut as bright rays of sunlight threatened to blind him. The werewolf rubbed his temple, trying to rid himself of the throbbing in his head. _Wait a minute,_ thought Remus. _Why does the couch feel so hard? And why is my pillow moving?_

The wizard opened his eyes again tentatively. _Of course_. He was lying on his bedroom floor, his arms wrapped gently around Sirius Black. The Animagus was curled up, his head resting against the werewolf's chest. Remus brushed a few stray strands of black hair from his friend's face before he heard the sharp tapping noise again.

The werewolf looked up slowly to see that a large tawny owl was the source of all the noise. "Hold on," he mumbled. "I'm coming." Remus picked up Sirius and placed him gently on his bed. The owl tapped on the window again. "Didn't I tell you to hold on?"

The werewolf walked over to the window and opened it. The tawny stuck out a leg, presenting a parchment envelope and a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ clamped in its talons. Remus relieved the owl of its burden and stuck out an arm to bring it in, but the tawny stretched its wings and soared off into the bright morning sun.

The werewolf walked into his living room and sat down on the couch, which had been his temporary bed since the Animagus had come to stay with him. He looked at the letter first, and found that it was addressed to both Sirius and him. Remus opened it and recognized the loopy writing of Albus Dumbledore.

_Remus and Sirius,_

_I will be by today to discuss some business with you. Expect me sometime around noon. The house-elves have insisted that they provide lunch for you, so you need not prepare anything for yourselves._

_Albus Dumbledore_

_P.S. The issue of the _Daily Prophet_ is for Remus. I apologize for being the bearer of bad news._

"Bearer of bad news?" mumbled the werewolf to himself. He picked up the newspaper, and a thick, bold headline jumped out at him.

**ANTI-WEREWOLF LAWS UP FOR REVISION**

_The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is responding to protests from anti-werewolf employment groups with a committee for the revision of the Werewolf Regulation Laws passed two years ago._

"_It was a relief to us all when Madam Umbridge drafted the bill two years ago, but we feel that it is high time for another amendment," says Jacob Jingleheimer, Head of the Committee of Revisions._

_Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, is heavily involved in the committee's efforts._

"_We at the ministry must do all we can to protect the public from these beasts," says Umbridge. "Having them in the work force is a danger to us all."_

_Discussions on a possible werewolf tagging policy will begin – _

Remus dropped the paper, unwilling to read anymore. "Tagging," he muttered bitterly. "What am I, a dog?" The werewolf sighed loudly and flopped onto the couch, burying his face in his pillow. He could feel the beginnings of a headache trying to pry his head open.

"Moony?" said a hoarse voice. The werewolf sat up and saw Sirius standing in the doorway to his bedroom, leaning heavily on the doorpost. "You all right?" he asked before he was overtaken by a harsh cough.

Remus tried to put on a smile and hoped that it looked real. "Of course, Padfoot. But you still look rather ill. Why don't you go back to sleep?" he asked, standing up and going over to his friend. The werewolf gently pried his friend off the door post and led him back to his bed.

The Animagus slipped under the covers, noticing the far away look on his friend's face. "What were you reading in there?" he asked.

"What?" asked Remus, pulling himself from his thoughts.

"What were you reading in there?"

"Oh. We've received post from Dumbledore. He'll be coming here around noon, and he's bringing food. Apparently the house-elves insisted that they prepare lunch for us."

"No, in the paper, I mean. What were you reading?"

The werewolf hoped that Sirius had not heard the small sigh that escaped him. "It was nothing."

"What were you reading, Remus?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I told you, it was nothing."

"_Remus_," growled the Animagus in a very doglike way.

The werewolf sighed again. Sirius moved over to allow him to sit on the bed. "The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has just put together a committee for the revision of the anti-werewolf legislation that was passed two years ago."

"What?" breathed the Animagus hoarsely. "How – "

"A witch by the name of Dolores Umbridge passed it. I really hate her," he said bitterly. "She's now Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Umbridge is very open about her hatred for half-humans. She's a big reason why I can't get a job. Not that I could really ever get a decent job, but it became impossible with her anti-werewolf legislation." Remus put his head in his hands. "This is not good."

Sirius wrapped an arm around the werewolf. "What are they trying to do?" he asked softly.

Remus closed his eyes and leaned into his friend, suddenly feeling tired. "They want to tag us."

"What? But why?"

"Probably to ensure that the entire wizarding world is aware of us so that we won't be hired. Or allowed to live near large groups of people. Or admitted into St. Mungo's. We're not human, remember?"

"Shut up, Moony," said the Animagus, hugging his best friend.

The werewolf sighed, returning the embrace. "Sorry."

"They won't pass that amendment; they can't. It has to be an offense to the clause on wizard rights – "

"That hasn't stopped them before," said Remus, pulling out of the hug.

"It doesn't matter what they do. They can't hurt you if you don't let them. Dumbledore won't let them hurt you. I won't let them hurt you."

The werewolf smiled. "Thanks, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled back. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm still tired." He glanced at the clock and flopped down onto the bed again. "I think I'll go back to sleep. Dumbledore won't be here for another three hours."

"That sounds like a good idea," yawned Remus. He made to leave the room, but not before a long, thin hand grasped him by the wrist.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to take a nap," he yawned again, trying to pry his wrist from the Animagus' grip. "Let me go, Padfoot."

"I don't think so," he said, tugging on the werewolf's arm, causing him to plummet onto the bed. "There's plenty of room here; this bed is huge," said Sirius, gesturing to the king-size bed. "And the couch can't be _that_ comfortable."

Remus smiled again. "Oh, all right."

The Animagus turned over onto his stomach and snuggled into a pillow, closing his eyes. "Good night, Moony. Or should I say good morning?"

"Just go to sleep, Padfoot," said the werewolf, lying down so he was facing his friend. He closed his eyes, allowing Sirius' gentle breathing to lull him into slumber, the news of the anti-werewolf legislations still weighing heavy on him.

---------------------

Thanks so much for reading! Now then, I would really appreciate it if you'd tell me how it was. Just press the pretty purple button below and submit a review. Please! I'd really appreciate it! Thanks again!


	6. Chapter 6: Dumbledore Arrives

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; that privilege belongs to J.K. Rowling. If you don't believe me, pick up a copy of _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ and check the book for the author…

_**Comments**_

**Rikki8879:** Thanks for checking out one of my two new stories! I'm glad you're checking out my work, and, of course, I am really, _really, **really**_ enjoying _A Mother's Heart._ Thanks so much for reviewing!

**Writer-by-day:** Werewolves not being allowed in St. Mungo's is not a part of the books. I read a fic in which the author made it illegal for Healers to treat werewolves, so I guess I kinda got the idea from that. But I won't have that part of the amendment passed (that's just too mean!).

**Carnivalgirl:** I'll make time to read you're fic (it's the least I can do after all the support you've given me)! It might be after I've reread _Half-Blood Prince_, though (hope you don't mind waiting for me). Thanks for your review!

**Alesia G:** I'm sure Remus won't like the fact that Umbridge will become the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Heck, I was furious when she was! I'll probably have Dumbledore say something about it in a later chapter.

**GMUXMenSoaps:** Umbridge makes me sick too!

**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana:** I too like it when Sirius is able to help Remus (and vice versa). Thanks for reviewing!

**jojo:** Don't worry about taking a long time to review; I know that computers don't always cooperate with people. Yes, Umbridge is pure evil (I just wanna hex her…at least once…)! Here's your update (Thanks again for the threats)!

**Xtin2000: **Umbridge should be publicly shot! Good idea (grabs wand)! I was a bit disappointed that Harry and Remus didn't really spend a lot of time together at the beginning of _Half-Blood Prince_, but I think that was because Dumbledore took the "lead role" in Harry's life (which I really liked). It would have been really good to see a lot more of Remus, though.

Hey mates!

Thanks so much to all who read and reviewed! I'm so grateful to you all!

I'm in the process of reading _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince _again because…I feel like it.

For those of you that finished reading _HBP_, you might want to check out my latest one-shot, _Never Really Gone._ Just a suggestion…

Anyway, on to chapter six! Once again, please review, and have fun reading (or rereading) _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 6: Dumbledore Arrives

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black floated in and out of sleep for nearly three hours when they heard a knocking on the door. "I think someone should get the door," mumbled the Animagus groggily.

"I agree," yawned the werewolf, rolling over.

"You go get it."

"Why me? You go get it."

"You're more presentable."

"What?"

"You're dressed in more than boxers."

Remus opened his eyes and looked at his friend, who was, indeed, wearing nothing but dog paw print-patterned boxer shorts. The werewolf, who was wearing long black pants, sighed. "Fine. I'll get it," he said, sitting up and pulling on the white T-shirt that was on his bedside table.

"I'll be out in a few," said Sirius hoarsely before he coughed harshly.

"Take your time. You're sick, remember?"

"How could I forget?" he said, coughing again. "Stupid cold."

Remus shuffled into the living room, putting his hand through his hair. He opened the door to the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore. "Good morning, Remus," he said, looking the werewolf up and down. "I hope I didn't wake you."

Remus smiled. "Of course not. Please come in," he said, stepping aside.

The headmaster walked in. "Where's Sirius?"

"I'm here," said a hoarse voice from somewhere in the bedroom.

"He's getting up," said the werewolf, shutting the front door behind him. "He's had a cold ever since he got here, so he's not in the best of health."

"I see," said Dumbledore. The headmaster took something out of his pocket and put it on Remus' kitchen table. He waved his wand. The object, which turned out to be a basket, swelled to its proper size. "The house elves send their greetings."

"Thank you," said the werewolf, smiling. He walked over to the cabinet and pulled out three plates and three glasses. "Smells good. Which means Sirius should be out here any – "

"I smell food," said the Animagus as he shuffled into the room and sat down at the table. He had pulled on a black shirt, but he was still wearing his boxers. Dumbledore and Remus looked at each other and broke out into laughter. "What?" asked Sirius.

"We were just amused over your keen sense of smell," said the headmaster.

"Oh," said the Animagus, rolling his eyes. "Remus told you about that, huh?"

"Not really," said the werewolf as he unpacked the basket. "I didn't tell him that you always wake up in the morning at the smell of food."

"Oh really?" said Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"Well, you just did," said Sirius, giving his friend a mock-glare.

"Well, it's true," he said, sitting down with the other two wizards, who were already dishing food out onto their plates.

"So, what's been happening with Voldemort?" asked the Animagus at once.

"I'll get to that in a minute," said the headmaster. "I must first inquire about your trip."

"My trip?"

"Yes. Were you being followed at any point?"

"No," said Sirius, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I was very careful. Doubled back and everything. Think I would have made Mad-Eye proud."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was assuming that Peter may have told Voldemort about your Animagus form." The two Marauders exchanged glances. "But perhaps he has yet to. At any rate, I must ask you two to be very cautious, especially you, Sirius. Don't go outside unnecessarily."

"Okay," said Remus and Sirius in unison.

"Thank you. Now, to some Order business. Thanks to you, Sirius, I was able to get in contact with all the old members very quickly. I've asked some of them to find those in the Ministry that will believe that Voldemort has returned."

"Like Ron's family?" asked the Animagus.

"The Weasleys?" asked the werewolf.

"Yes. They are our newest members. Molly has assured me that we have Arthur's support. Their eldest son, Bill, will be transferring from Egypt to get a desk job at Gringotts."

"How's Mad-Eye?" asked Sirius.

"As well as one can expect him to be after having been imprisoned in his trunk for nine months. He's a bit shaken, but Alastor has agreed to see if he can find anyone in the Auror Corps that may be able to help us."

"I see," said the Animagus, coughing. He waved his hand at the concerned looks the other wizards shot at him. "What about Hagrid and the Beauxbatons' headmistress?"

Dumbledore hesitated slightly before saying, "No one can know about this. I sent them to the mountains to see if the giants will consider joining our side. We can't afford to let Voldemort regain all his supporters."

"Looks like you've got everything under control," said Remus, smiling at the headmaster.

"As usual," said Sirius, also smiling.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," said Dumbledore. "I am still searching for a place we can use as headquarters for the Order. It has been very difficult, and my search has so far been fruitless. Do you two have any suggestions?"

"No."

"I do."

The two wizards turned to the Animagus. "You do?" said the headmaster, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," said Sirius. "You can use my parents' house. Number twelve, Grimmauld Place. My dear old mum's dead, so it belongs to me now. It's got all kinds of protective spells on it, and it's Unplottable. Mind you, no one's been in it for ten years, so we'll probably have to clean it up, but if you don't mind that, then you can use it."

"I would be very grateful if you would allow us to use your house for our headquarters," said Dumbledore, smiling. "When can we go to inspect it?"

"Right now, if you want to."

"Excellent!"

"Sirius!" said Remus. "I thought you were hungry?"

"I'm full," said the Animagus, walking into the bedroom as Dumbledore sent their three empty plates into the sink with the flick of his wand. Besides, we can come back and eat later!"

"You're _full_! I never thought I'd live to see the day Sirius Black turned down food."

"I'm not turning down food!" said the Animagus, walking back out and buttoning his pants. "I'm just…saving it for later."

The other two laughed. "After you, gentlemen," said the headmaster, opening the door.

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Kinda short, I know. Sorry bout that. Anyway, what'dya think? Please review; I'd really appreciate it!


	7. Chapter 7: Number Twelve Grimmauld Place

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, book sales would be nowhere near as high as they are with J.K. Rowling as the author.

_**Comments**_

**Alesia G: **I too like reading fics that show interaction between characters other than the main ones. I'm glad you've stuck with this story, and thanks for reviewing!

**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: **I'm glad you like my Remus/Sirius interaction; it always encourages me to write more!

**Rikki8879: **Yes, a bit of Remus and Sirius with a splash of Dumbledore is fun! Thanks for all your support (and for your excellent writing!)!

**GMUXMenSoaps: **Yeah, it's kind of hard to write this fic knowing that Sirius will die. I feel like that now writing my other fics after having read _Half-Blood Prince_. I hope you will stick with this story, though; there will be more of Remus and Sirius goodness long before that ever happens :).

**Xtin2000: **Yes, I think Sirius is feeling better now…well, physically, anyway. There will probably be some emotional "sickness" in the chapters to come, given that the story will primarily be set at Grimmauld Place. Yes, I did finish reading _Half-Blood Prince_, and I have to say that I was shocked as well. I'm completely devastated about Dumbledore (sniffle). Also, I was highly shocked that the Half-Blood Prince was a half-blood (sounds stupid, yeah?). I mean, how could his father have a last name like that if he was a Muggle!

**jojo:** Thanks for reviewing! Doesn't computer trouble just SUCK! Yes, _Half-Blood Prince_ was absolutely brilliant; the pairings were nice, but I'm SO SAD about Dumbledore (sniffle). Thanks for your great threats!

Hey mates!

Yes, I know, I haven't updated in ages and I should be severely punished for my lack of posting. Before you discipline me, let me explain. My studio had its most recent dance concert, so we were rehearsing every day prior to the opening. The show was awesome, but now that it's over, I have some time to write. As always, I send much love and thanks to all of my reviewers; thank you for all your support!

Hope you all enjoy chapter seven!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 7: Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place

The front door of number twelve, Grimmauld Place opened to admit three wizards, who quickly shut the door behind themselves. "Merlin," said Sirius Black, coughing slightly. "Something crawled up and died in here."

"I can't see anything," said Remus Lupin, bumping into the Animagus.

"Some light, I think, is needed," said Albus Dumbledore, waving his wand.

"Thanks," said Sirius, skirting an ugly umbrella stand that looked oddly like a troll's leg.

"This place is a bit dusty," said the headmaster, admiring the rug the three were standing on.

"That's the understatement of the year," said the werewolf, brushing his shoe against the rug. A thick cloud of pearly grey dust floated at their feet.

"Whose there?" asked a slightly raspy voice. "Who are you?"

"Who are _you?_" asked the Animagus. "I own this house."

"Excuse me! You can't be the owner of this house; he's locked up in Azkaban where he belongs, the filthy blood traitor."

Sirius froze. "Mum?"

"What!" said the voice. Dumbledore strengthened the light coming from his wand until a small movement caught his eye, and he pointed his wand at a portrait of a middle-aged woman with long black hair. "YOU!" said the painting, pointing a finger at the Animagus.

"Yes, mum, it's your beloved first-born son," he said bitterly.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" screamed Mrs. Black. "YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE! YOU ARE A BLACK IN NAME ONLY!"

"My thoughts exactly," muttered Sirius, trying to control his temper.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT?"

"Didn't you just say that I wasn't your son!" he yelled.

"YOU WILL STILL SHOW ME THE RESPECT I DESERVE, YOU FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR!"

The Animagus paused. "You don't deserve any respect," he said quietly.

"YOU ABOMINATION, SHAME OF MY FLESH! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE THE HOUSE OF YOUR FATHERS BY SETTING FOOT IN HERE? GET OUT!"

"YOU CAN'T KICK ME OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"HOW DARE YOU – "

Suddenly, a pair of thick black curtains floated in front of the screaming portrait, silencing it at once. Sirius whipped his head around to see that Remus had done the same. Dumbledore had his wand pointed at the covered portrait. "I think that's enough to be going on with. We need to search the house."

"Right," grunted the Animagus.

They had not taken more than three steps before they heard a small croaky voice. "Who is here making noise in my mistress' house?"

"Not _you!_" exclaimed Sirius with utter disgust.

"Who is that?" asked the headmaster.

"Kreacher," muttered the Animagus.

"What creature?" asked the werewolf.

Sirius was about to reply, but at that moment, a rather old and ugly house-elf crept out of the shadows of the dreary household. "It is my mistress' first-born," said Kreacher, his eyes looking as if they would pop out of their sockets. "Why has the blood-traitor returned, Kreacher wonders?"

"Shut up, Kreacher," said the Animagus through clenched teeth.

The house-elf was about to retort, but the magic that bound him to the Black family kicked into gear, clamping his mouth shut firmly.

"Kreacher," asked Dumbledore kindly, "are you the only one keeping the house up or are there others here?"

"Who is this old coot talking to Kreacher?" muttered the house-elf. "Why is he acting like he knows Kreacher? And who is the other man that the blood-traitor brought?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" growled the Animagus. The house-elf glared at his master, unable to speak.

"Sirius!" chided the headmaster. "Don't treat him like that. He could pose a threat to us if he falls into the hands of some of your other relatives."

"He can't leave," said the Animagus without enthusiasm. "He and his relatives are bound to this house by ancient magic. And besides, if I know him like I do, I'd say he's let the house go these past ten years. I can almost guarantee that he's let all the Dark stuff in this place stew and fester, which means we'll have to be extremely careful with what we do in here."

"If that's the case," said Remus, "we should find a place that's safe to hold meetings. Do you have any suggestions, Sirius?"

"No one's safe in this house," he said, looking around, "but I would try the kitchen if I were you."

At his master's words, Kreacher's eyes grew wide. The house-elf shot past the three wizards and up a flight of stairs into darkness. They could hear his muttering grow fainter.

"What was that about?" asked the werewolf.

"He lives in the kitchen, under the boiler," said the Animagus. "I almost forgot. Probably thinks we're gonna mess up his hidey-hole."

"So is it a good idea to meet in the kitchen, then?" asked Remus.

"I think it should be fine as long as we do not touch what is his," said Dumbledore, flashing Sirius a stern look.

"Fine with me," said the Animagus, shrugging. "It's probably filthy down there anyway." He indicated the other two to follow him and led them to a door. He pulled it open to reveal a descending flight of stairs. "Kitchen's in the basement," he said.

They walked down the steps until they found themselves in a rather large stone room. It was very dusty. "Looks like we'll have to do some cleaning," said the werewolf. "Will we be able to use magic?"

"I think so," said Sirius. "My mum always used to anyway, when Kreacher was doing other things. The other rooms are enchanted, though. We'll be limited in the magical cleaning we do upstairs."

"Well, we best get cracking, then," said the headmaster, waving his wand. A drawer opened, and out flew half a dozen dish towels. They shot under the now-running faucet and proceeded to wipe down the dusty kitchen counter, table, and chairs. "I'm sorry to have to leave you, gentlemen, but I need to meet with Molly and Arthur. I should be back with them in a few hours. I think they may be staying here for the summer, if that's all right with you, Sirius?"

"Sure," he said. "It'll be nice to have company."

"Excellent! I shall take my leave now." Dumbledore turned to make his leave, but stopped and turned around at the door. "I almost forgot. I believe this is yours, Sirius," he said, holding out a thin piece of wood.

"My wand!" exclaimed the Animagus. "I thought they'd destroyed after I was put in Azkaban!"

"Fortunately, they did not," said the headmaster kindly. "And I was lucky enough to be able to pull a few strings to get that. Now, I really must be going. I trust you two will behave while I'm gone?"

"Of course, sir," said Remus, bowing deeply.

"You can count on us, Headmaster," said Sirius, curtsying.

Dumbledore nodded to both of them, his eyes twinkling, before shutting the door behind him with a small _snap!_

"Now, Padfoot," said the werewolf, taking out his wand, "I believe we have a kitchen to clean."

"I believe you are right, Moony."

"Soapsuds on three, then?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"One – "

" – Two – "

" – Three!"

"_SCOURGIFY!_"

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Kinda stupid, I know, but…how was it? I'd really appreciate it if you told me. Please review; your comments are welcome (unless you're gonna be rude). And don't worry, I will not get offended by any constructive criticism you readers have. :)


	8. Chapter 8: Explorations

**Disclaimer: **I own Harry Potter just as much as I own…say…McDonalds…and Burger King…and Taco Bell…and Jack in the Crack – I mean Box…

_**Comments**_

**Carnivalgirl:** Thanks for your review! I'm glad you've stuck with me this long. Also, thanks for your stories; I enjoy reading them!

**jojo:** I know...it was a close one. You almost had to hurt there! Glad you didn't, though. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't continue on with this story! Thanks for reviewing, and keep those threats coming!

**Herendil:** Glad you were able to run into this story! Remus is one of my favorites too :)…he's so much fun to write! Thanks for your review!

**Xtin2000:** Yeah, I know, bad me for making you all wait so long for my next update! I'll try not to do that again. You can hit me if I do :). Remus and Sirius need to have a conversation about the portrait and some untold family issues, you say? Well, you've come to the right place! That'll start to unfold in this chapter, but more will be told later on in this story. Thanks for being after this story like a vampire after and artery (you make me laugh)!

**GMUXMenSoaps:** Glad you liked the last chapter. Thanks for sticking with this story!

I know, I know…I've kept you all waiting forever for my next update…again! I just finished doing a special guest thing in my old studio's dance concert. I'm back at school for the second quarter (Fall Break was only one week…sigh), but I know that I have to get something out to you guys, both for this story and for _The Burdens of a Lioness._ I know…I haven't updated that one in forever, either…but I promise to get something out in the next couple of days! Please be patient (gets on hands and knees)!

Thanks to all that reviewed! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! No really, I really do! Even though there were only five of you that reviewed from the last post, I know that there are still many more out there that are reading, so it's okay :) (But I'd really love to hear your opinions :p).

Anyway, onto the eighth installment of this story!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 8: Explorations

"There!" said Sirius Black triumphantly as he sent the last of the now dirty rags flying into the kitchen sink.

"You sound happy," said Remus Lupin, who was stoking the fire.

"I guess because this place looks different now. It doesn't look as Dark magic-infested as before."

The werewolf studied the now clean kitchen. It did look a lot less dreary now, especially with the fire crackling merrily. "So, now what, Sirius? Are you up for a little Marauder explorations?"

"In this house? You've gotta be nuts!" The Animagus stared at his friend in mock shock for a few moments before his face broke into a smile. "Where should we start?"

"I dunno. Where do you want to go?"

"Hmmm. Follow me," said Sirius, turning to leave the kitchen. Remus followed the Animagus up to the main level and up another flight of stairs. The werewolf could barely see anything in the dark house, and he nearly fell back down the steps when he tripped on a rug and hit his head on something plastered to the wall.

"What is that?"

"Oh, I forgot about those filthy things," said Sirius with disgust. "It was a tradition in my family to decapitate the house-elves once they were deemed useless. I'll have to take those down later, among other things. Here we are," he said, twisting the doorknob of a rather beaten and nicked door. It was locked. "_Alohomora!_" The Animagus tried the door again, and this time it swung open, hitting the wall with a resounding _thud_.

"Just as I thought; they've let this place get so filthy."

"Where are we?" asked Remus.

"My room."

"What! This is your room?"

"_Was_ my room. I ran away from home, remember? Besides, I thought you'd have figured it out from the chunks of wood that are missing from the door, compliments of my mum's temper, of course," he said, grinning slightly. "Let's check the closet first. I don't think there's anything too dangerous in there." He approached another wooden door that was quite the opposite of the first one: smooth and sleek. He reached for the handle, but pulled back and took out his wand. "Best be cautious," he said. "They might have jinxed this place."

He threw open the door and thrust his wand out. "Looks safe," said the werewolf.

"Hopefully," said Sirius, picking up a box. It was labeled "Marauder Property." The Animagus took off the lid and tossed it behind him as he dumped out the box's contents onto the floor.

"Oh, wow," said Remus softly, picking up an owl-shaped whistle. "It's all our old stuff." He blew into the whistle, and it made a soft hooting noise.

"What do we have here?" asked Sirius, picking up a folded sheet of parchment. "Oh, look here, Moony. I believe I have found a certain map of Hogsmeade that I myself and a certain lycanthrope modeled after the beloved Marauder's Map."

"I thought we lost that!" he said, taking the parchment that the Animagus had tossed to him. Remus opened it. To his delight, the charms the map had been enchanted with were still perfectly intact. Tiny dots labeled with names scurried along the parchment streets of the all-wizard town.

"We should finish it," said Sirius, looking at the map over his friend's shoulder.

"I don't know – "

"Oh, come on, Moony! We're not in school anymore; you can't get detention for this map or the Marauder's map!"

"But – "

"Can't lose house points either!"

"But – "

"Can't piss off Filch!"

"But – "

"Can't – "

"I know, Sirius! I'm not worried about that!"

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"What are you going to do with this map once we finish it?"

"What do you think?"

"If you're going to give it to Harry – "

"Of course I'll give it to Harry! Don't look at me like that!" said the Animagus at the sight of his friend. "He can't do anything illegal with this map. Well, not really, anyway."

"That's not the point – "

"Then what is the point, Moony?"

The werewolf paused. "Things will become much more dangerous now that Voldemort has regained his body. And it will be even more difficult since the Ministry refuses to believe it."

"And?"

"Harry and his friends have a tendency for trouble – "

"If I recall, Remus, so did we – "

"We can't chance them using the map for something dangerous – "

"Like what?"

"Like…like – "

"You can't think of anything."

"What if they sneak into Hogsmeade after hours?" asked the werewolf, turning around to look at his friend.

"They won't, Moony – "

"Padfoot – "

"Remus," said Sirius, putting his hands on his friend's shoulders, "they won't use the map to wander around after hours. Not this Hogsmeade map, anyway. The Marauder's Map…well, that's a different story." The werewolf gave his friend a skeptical look. "Would you at least think about it, Moony?" he pleaded.

Remus sighed. "All right."

The Animagus smiled. "Good. Now let's see what else we've got here!" he said, diving back into the closet. "Old school robes, about a size or two too small now." He threw them out onto the floor. One landed on the werewolf's head.

"Watch where you're throwing those, Padfoot!"

"School textbooks – "

Remus ducked as _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ came flying at his head. "Sirius!"

"Some crumpled pieces of parchment – "

"Stop it!" The werewolf picked up a textbook and hurled it back into the closet.

"OUCH! What was that for, Remus!"

"Don't play dumb! You know what that was about!"

"Oh, fine. Whoa, what on earth is this doing in here?"

"What is it?"

Fortunately, the werewolf did not have to wait long or experience pain in order to find out what his friend found. The Animagus walked out wearing a black Muggle woman's hat and a big black feather boa. "How do I look?" he asked, leaning against the closet doorframe.

Remus stared. "What on earth – ?"

"That's what I said – "

"Whose is it? Don't tell me it's _yours_!"

"Of course not! Drag's not my style. It's probably my mum's; maybe she wanted someone to look in here and think that I like to play dress-up."

"So have we confirmed that you don't wear women's clothing?"

"You have confirmation, sir!" said Sirius, taking of the hat and swooping into a bow. "But you haven't answered my question, Remus."

"And what was your question, Padfoot?"

"How do I look?"

The werewolf rolled his eyes. "Simply stunning."

"Great! Then you can wear this!" Suddenly, the Animagus jumped out of the closet and jammed a witch's hat on his friend's head. "Black with silver twinkling stars. Looks good on you, Moony. I have to say, I think you give me some competition!"

"Padfoot?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up," he said, taking off the hat.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." Remus threw another book at him, missing by an inch. "I think I'll keep looking, then." He took of the hat and boa and threw them onto an empty chair. The werewolf heard him digging loudly through the closet's contents. Suddenly, Sirius stopped whatever he was doing, and the room was filled with silence.

"What is it, Padfoot? Did you find something?"

"It's…Regulus."

"Regulus? But…Sirius, isn't Regulus – ?"

"Dead? Yes. It's a picture. Of him and me when we were little." The Animagus walked out of the closet, almost as if he were in a trance. He sat on the floor and leaned on one of the bed's posts. Remus crawled over to Sirius from the pile of Marauder property and sat next to his friend.

It was a classic picture, something the werewolf had never seen in all of the years he had known the Animagus: Sirius and Regulus Black, around the ages of eleven and seven, had their arms around each other's shoulders. They were laughing. They looked inseparable. "You know," began the Animagus with a hint of sadness in his voice, "he wasn't so bad. At least…he wasn't until our parents started to intervene."

"Padfoot – "

"During one of our last real conversations, he told me. It started out as an argument, really. He told me that Dad said that he would kill him if he didn't become a Slytherin."

The werewolf gasped. "What?" he whispered.

"Yeah. To tell you the truth, it's not surprising; sounds like something my family would do. He probably wouldn't have killed him; they needed a decent male heir. I remember the summer before he started at Hogwarts; he never let our parents know, but he told me that he wanted to be a Gryffindor with me more than anything else. I always wondered why he changed his mind. Maybe he wouldn't have become a Death Eater if I'd have protected him from them."

"No, Sirius." The werewolf pulled his friend towards him and let the Animagus put his head on his chest. "It's not your fault, I know it isn't," he said, stroking Sirius' hair.

"Thanks, Moony," said the Animagus, wrapping his arms around Remus' neck and burying his head in his shoulder.

"Anytime, Padfoot," he whispered. "Anytime."

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How was it? I hope you all enjoyed! Hope the length was okay, too. Please review; let me know how you feel about this!


	9. Chapter 9: The Greatest Aid to Magical M

**Disclaimer:**

Jingle bells, Voldie smells,  
Hedwig laid an egg.  
Peeves will steal the Hogwarts seal,  
And drive Filch nuts all day!

I don't know what that has to do with me not owning Harry Potter. Harry Potter is all J.K. Rowling's.

Hey all!

Exams are over and school's out! Finally, I have some time to write. Hope you all like this one!

Also, if anyone's interested, I just released my latest Snape-centered one-shot,_ Mental Cruciatus._ I'd really appreciate it if you checked it out!

Aloha from Hawaii, and a Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) to you and yours!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 9: The Greatest Aid to Magical Mischief-Making

After a long time of sitting on the floor in Sirius Black's old bedroom, Remus Lupin opened his eyes. "Are you still awake, Padfoot?"

"I think so," he said, sitting up and yawning. "Sorry about that, Moony."

"No need to apologize."

"Why do I feel so tired?" he asked, yawning again and lying on the floor.

"You just got over being sick."

"And that's important…how?"

"Your body is still trying to recover and regain its strength. It does that when you _rest_ and _sleep_."

"I see. Are we done in here?"

"For now, I think," said Remus, picking up the witch's hats. "We should go downstairs in case the Weasleys arrive. We can come back here later."

"Okay," Sirius breathed, raising his hand into the air. "Help me up."

Remus grabbed his friend's hand and pulled. The Animagus flopped back down. "Sirius, you have to try!"

"Oh, all right." Sirius rolled over and pushed himself up slowly, as if he were an old man. Remus rolled his eyes. "So when do you reckon they'll get he – "

"YOU ARE THE WORST THING THAT _EVER_ HAPPENED TO THE WIZARDING WORLD, DUMBLEDORE, AND NOW YOU'RE DEFILING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS BY BRINGING IN THESE MUDBLOOD LOVERS!"

"Well, I think that answers your question, Padfoot."

"Shut up, mum!" said Sirius, running down the stairs to close the curtain.

"YOU AGAIN – "

"I said _shut up!_ Moony, give me a hand here!" Once they had wrestled the curtains closed, they turned to face Albus Dumbledore and the mass of red-haired wizards that had just piled into the house.

"Hello Ron – " said the werewolf as he shook the boy's hand.

"Good to see you again," said the Animagus.

" – Ginny, Fred, George – "

"Hey," said Fred Weasley, looking at Sirius.

"Aren't you – " began George Weasley.

"Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer and escaped Azkaban convict?" said the Animagus.

"Don't forget _falsely_ accused, Padfoot," added Remus.

"Oh, yeah, that too."

"Really?" asked Fred.

"No joke?" asked George.

"No joke," said Sirius.

"Wicked," said the twins in awed unison. The Animagus and the werewolf smiled.

"Stop it, you two," said Molly Weasley. "Thank you for allowing us to stay here, Mr. Black – "

"Sirius, Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly, Sirius."

"Fair enough, Molly. And it's no problem. I should be thanking you."

"Sirius, who was that woman?" asked Ron.

"All in due time, Mr. Weasley," said the headmaster. "There is work to be done. Sirius, Remus, do you two know if the upstairs is fit for living?"

"We only checked one room, and it was okay," said the werewolf, looking at the Animagus. "Perhaps that is a sign that the other rooms are safe?"

"Mum would have only jinxed her room. My dad always felt that their valuables could look after themselves."

"Indeed," said Dumbledore.

"We were just about to check the other rooms, but we heard your entrance – " said Remus.

"Remus, the _neighbors_ probably heard their entrance."

" – And decide to come down."

"Right. You all can leave your stuff down here," said Sirius, walking over to the kitchen door and opening it. "We'll head upstairs to make sure it's safe. You can all wait down here for us."

"Where are we going?" asked Ron.

"It's probably an underground dungeon," mused Fred.

"Or a top-secret laboratory," whispered George.

"It's the kitchen," said the werewolf.

"Same thing," said the twins in unison as they descended the stairs.

………………

"We've just checked all the spare rooms," said Remus as he opened the kitchen door. "They're safe."

"No jinxes, no curses," said the Animagus, poking his head in. "Now if you'll just follow us, we need to get your things upstairs."

"I need to head back to the Burrow to fill Arthur in," said Mrs. Weasley, standing up. "I trust you'll be all right until I return?"

"Of course, Molly," said Sirius.

"We'll make sure they settle into their rooms," said Remus.

"Thanks, you two. I'll be back soon," she said, exiting the kitchen. None of the Weasley children stood up until the heard their mother closing the front door behind herself.

"So, Moony," said the Animagus, turning to his friend as they arrived on the landing, "shall I do the honors?"

"Please do, Padfoot," said the werewolf. "I'll dust if need be once we get up there." Sirius took out his wand and waved it, and the Weasleys' school trunks rose off the ground, forming a neat line behind him.

"You did it again," said George.

"Did what?" asked the Animagus.

"Called him Moony."

"And you called him Padfoot," said Fred, looking at Remus.

"We've seen those names before – "

"But they're on the – "

"Marauder's Map?" finished Sirius.

"Yeah," said George, thoughtfully. "Hey!"

"Are you two – " began Fred.

"It can't be – "

"Oh, yes, it can," said the Animagus.

"Is it?" asked the twins in unison, turning to their former professor.

A smile flashed across the werewolf's face. "It is."

"Wicked!" said George, rushing forward to shake Sirius' hand. "I'm absolutely thrilled to meet you, Mr. Padfoot!"

"And you, Professor!" said Fred, shaking Remus' hand. "An honor to meet you, Mr. Moony!"

"You two are an asset to Hogwarts' mischief-makers!"

"I can't believe I'm actually _meeting_ you!"

"Knock it off, guys," said Ron.

"Wait a second," said George, looking at his younger brother. "Does Harry know about you two?"

"Of course he does," said the Animagus, "Prongs was his father."

"What!" said the twins.

"James Potter!"

"I didn't know Harry was related to such a great man!"

"So I guess giving him the map was just like passing it on to the rightful heir, wouldn't you agree, Fred?"

"Yes, I believe so, George."

"So it was you two that gave Harry the map," said the werewolf.

"Yep," said Fred.

"How'd you two get it?" asked Sirius as he began to climb the stairs. "Last I knew was that Filch had it in one of his drawers."

"He did," said George.

"But he brought us into his office first week of our first year," said Fred.

"We let off a Dungbomb – "

"He was rather upset – "

"Took us up to his office – "

"Threatened us with detention – "

"Probably wanted to do more than that – "

"But we glanced upon his filing cabinets – "

"And saw one marked _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_."

"And let me guess," said the Animagus. "You couldn't resist."

"Right in one. George caused a diversion – another Dungbomb – and I took a little peek – "

"And nicked the greatest aid to magical mischief-making the world has ever seen."

"The secret to our success."

"We owe it all to you."

Sirius smiled. "I'm glad to see that our work is still being carried out, wouldn't you agree, Remus?"

The werewolf hesitated, but then grinned just as much as his friend. "In all honesty, yes, I think I'm glad."

"So here we are," said the Animagus.

"Ginny, your room is over here," said Remus. "I'm sure Hermione will be staying here later, so you two will share rooms."

"All right. Thank you," she said as Sirius put her trunk at the foot of the bed.

They climbed up another set of stairs. "Ron, you're in the room on the left," said the werewolf. "If Harry comes by later this summer, he'll be staying with you."

"Okay," he said, shutting the door behind himself.

"You two are up on the next floor," said the Animagus. "First door on the right." He flicked his wand, and the last two trunks zoomed up the next flight of stairs.

"Thanks Sirius," said Fred.

"We'll call you down when your mother returns," said Remus.

"Till then," said George. The twins turned to face the Animagus and the werewolf halfway up the stairs and saluted them. "We solemnly swear that we'll be up to no good."

Smiling, Sirius saluted back. "Well done boys."

Remus, grinning to himself, thought about what Mrs. Weasley would say before he too gave a salute. "If you're mother asked, this conversation never happened."

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Alas, we come to the end of yet another chapter. Please take the opportunity to press the pretty purple button below. Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome. Flames are not. Thank you so much for reading!


	10. Chapter 10: The Phoenix Rises Again

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Remus Lupin…or Sirius Black…Albus Dumbledore…Minerva McGonagall…Severus Snape…Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny Weasley…Hermione Granger…Harry Potter…any of them…you get it, I think…

Hey guys!

So…I haven't updated in…5 months? I'm so sorry, guys! I've been really busy. We just finished our spring dance concert, _3Six5_, and now we're getting ready for Miss Hawaii, so I barely have time to read, let alone write. I hope you'll all forgive me…

So, in case anyone has forgotten, the Weasleys have arrived at Grimmauld Place. Now we'll see some of the new Order members. Hope you all enjoy!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 10: The Phoenix Rises Again

"Achoo!"

"You getting sick, Moony?" asked Sirius Black, turning around to face his sneezing friend.

"No – achoo!" said Remus Lupin as he walked into the recently-cleaned sitting room. "It's all the dust from when we were cleaning. I always sneeze if I breathe in too much dust."

"No, I think you're getting sick," he said, taking a bag of Black family heirlooms out of his friend's hands. "You're sneezing too much for it to only be dust."

"Sirius, really!" exclaimed the werewolf as the Animagus pushed him into a large chintz armchair. "I'm fine!"

Sirius put a hand on Remus' forehead. "You have a fever."

"It's hot in here."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. It's a warm summer's day, and all the windows are shut."

"I put Cooling Charms on all the rooms in the house, and they haven't worn off."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

The werewolf sighed. "I can't get sick, Padfoot. Not now."

"And why can't you get sick now, Moony?"

"The war for our world has just begun. I have to – "

"Hey, we're all in this together," he said, throwing the bag of Dark objects into the corner. "Don't feel like you have to do everything by yourself. If you need to rest, then rest."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Molly Weasley's head appeared in the doorway. "Albus is down in the kitchen; he wants to speak with you two."

"All right. Thanks, Molly," said Remus, standing.

"You sure you'll be all right?" whispered the Animagus.

"Of course, Padfoot. Stop worrying."

Remus and Sirius began to descend the staircase with Mrs. Weasley. Suddenly, they heard an explosion, and the Weasley twins came running out of their room onto the landing below. "Well, that wasn't right," said Fred, running a hand through his hair.

"No, definitely not," agreed George, dusting off his shirt.

"What are you boys doing?"

"Cleaning," said George.

"Cleaning?" repeated Mrs. Weasley, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We're cleaning our cauldrons."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," said Fred. "Why, you don't believe us?"

"No, I don't."

"Oh, come on, mum!" exclaimed George. "We're just trying to clean off some of the Billywig stings that didn't come off."

"You know they can be explosive, right, Professor?" said Fred.

Remus looked thoughtful for a moment. "They can be."

"Depending on what they're exposed to," added Sirius, smiling.

"Oh, I don't want to know," said Mrs. Weasley, descending the stairs. When their mother was out of sight, the twins saluted the werewolf and the Animagus.

"Thanks, mates," said George.

"Not so loud; your mother will hear," said Remus quietly.

"Good luck with whatever you're doing," said Sirius.

"And try to be careful," said the werewolf.

"We will," said Fred, marching back into their room.

"Or we'll try, anyway," said George, following his brother and shutting the door behind himself.

Remus shook his head. "Can you believe that we used to be like that?"

The Animagus chuckled. "Of course. And what do you mean _used _to? We still are!"

"_You're_ still like that," said the werewolf, sneezing.

"And I still say you're sick."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"I will."

"When? Tomorrow?"

Remus never got a chance to retaliate as they opened the kitchen door. They both stared at the group surrounding Dumbledore, which had looked up when the door opened.

"You wanted to see us, Albus?" said the werewolf, walking over to the table and sitting down.

"Yes, I did." The headmaster looked up from the parchment he was reading. "Are you all right, Remus? You look a little pale."

"He's just a bit run down," said Sirius, also taking a seat at the table. "So what's this about? And, if you don't mind me asking, who are they?"

"These are new members of the Order of the Phoenix," said Alastor Moody, his magic eye swiveling in its socket.

The Animagus eyed the new members warily. "Don't worry, Sirius, I've already informed them of your innocence," said Dumbledore.

"And they all believed you? Even him?" asked Sirius, pointing to Moody.

"After a while," said Mad-Eye, taking a swig from his hip flask. "I always thought something was fishy about twelve years ago. Guess I was right."

"So, are you still chasing Dark wizards?" asked the Animagus, tipping his chair back onto two legs.

"Nope. I'm retired."

"Gentlemen, if we can get back to the business at hand?" said Dumbledore, standing up. "This," he said, gesturing to a witch with a heart-shaped face and bubblegum pink spikes, "is – "

"Nymphadora Tonks?" said the Animagus, tipping his chair back onto four legs. "I haven't seen you since before you were at Hogwarts!"

"That's Nymphadora!" said Remus, raising an eyebrow. He had met her once before in their seventh year, but she had only been five or six then.

"Actually, it's Tonks," said the witch, stepping forward. "How did you recognize me, Sirius?"

"I don't really know," said the Animagus, looking over his cousin. "I just knew. Family intuition, I guess."

"This is Hestia Jones," said the headmaster. A pink-cheeked witch with black hair stepped forward, smiling brightly.

"A pleasure to meet you," she said cheerfully, shaking both Remus' and Sirius' hand.

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt," said Dumbledore, turning to the black wizard. "He's the Auror in charge of tracking you, Sirius."

The Animagus stared, a hint of fear flashing across his face.

"But if I remember correctly," said Shacklebolt in a deep, slow voice, "you were last spotted somewhere near Tibet."

Relief and slight amusement ran across Sirius' face as the Auror smiled. "I believe you're right," he said, shaking hands with the black wizard. "Where's everyone else?" he asked, turning to the headmaster. "I take it that there are more new recruits than this?"

"There are a few more," said Dumbledore, "but I believe they are still working. They should be here shortly."

"Sorry we're late," said Arthur Weasley, striding into the kitchen followed by his son, Bill. "Charlie won't be able to make it until later tonight," he said, shaking the headmaster's hand.

Over the next half an hour, more people filtered into the kitchen. Some were familiar, like Emmeline Vance, Arabella Figg, and, to the Animagus' disgust, Severus Snape. Others were not. When the kitchen was filled with the buzzing and chattering of many witches and wizards, Dumbledore stood up and called for silence. "I believe it's time we begin. Welcome, everyone, to the first meeting of the second rising of the Order of the Phoenix – "

"Did I miss anythin'?" asked Mundungus Fletcher as he strolled into the kitchen.

"As punctual as ever, aren't we, Dung?" said Sirius, tipping back his chair and rolling his eyes.

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	11. Chapter 11: The First Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter! Get it through your head :)!

Hey guys!

As I promised, I'm updating on my birthday, June 19th! If I was a wizard…or rather, a witch…I would be of age already (so if you don't know how old I am, you need to reread the series)…

If you don't recall me promising to post a chapter on my birthday, please refer to _The Burdens of a Lioness_ Chapter 10 (hint, hint if you didn't read it)…

Hope you all enjoy!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 11: The First Meeting

"Sorry 'm late," said Mundungus Fletcher.

"Quite all right, Mundungus," said Albus Dumbledore pleasantly. Certain people like Molly Weasley, Arabella Figg, and Minerva McGonagall, however, were wearing looks that indicated that his tardiness was, indeed, not all right. "Just take a seat; we have much to discuss."

After the ginger-haired wizard had settled in, the headmaster turned his attention back to the crowd of witches and wizards before him. "As I was saying, welcome to the first meeting of the second rising of the Order of the Phoenix. Everyone here has a general idea of the current state of our world, so I will not waste any time outlining what Voldemort – " nearly everyone jumped or flinched, " – is planning as we speak. What we need to focus on is informing as many people as we can of Voldemort's – " more jumping and flinching, " – return and see if they are interested in supporting our cause. I'm sure that you will all find this to be extremely difficult considering what happened after the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament."

"What happened?" asked Nymphadora Tonks.

McGonagall answered before Dumbledore had a chance to. "The Minister of Magic refused to believe that You-Know-Who – oh, all right, Albus – Voldemort – " more jumping and flinching. "Oh, honestly, people, if I have to say his name, then we all should! As I was saying, the Minister of Magic refuses to believe that _Voldemort_ has returned."

The Order was soon in an uproar. "What?" squeaked Dedalus Diggle.

"How dare he!" exclaimed Mrs. Figg.

"So if he doesn't believe that You-Know-Who is back," said Hestia Jones, "how is he able to explain away Amos' son's death?"

"The Minister believes that Diggory's death was the result of a freak accident," said Severus Snape, smoothly.

The Potions Master's comment brought more indignation. "That's not right!" protested Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Is he kidding himself?" asked Bill Weasley.

"It's injustice, I tell you!" said Mad-Eye Moody.

"Settle down, everyone," said the headmaster loudly. "I agree that Cornelius is in the wrong, but that will not help us any. We will not sway the Minister just because his thoughts are unjust. Cornelius has become quite comfortable as the Minister of Magic, and he refuses to take actions that will throw our world in to a chaos that has not occurred for nearly thirteen years. We have to work around his blindness; he will have his eyes on everything that I do from now on. I fear that anyone connected to myself will also be closely monitored, which means that you all will have to be very cautious."

"So, given the obstacle of Fudge and his cronies, how are we going to recruit more members for the Order if we're being watched so closely?" asked Tonks.

"If everything you've just said comes in to play shortly," said Sirius Black slowly, "it'll be nearly impossible to convince anyone."

"And you can be sure that the _Daily Prophet_ will be involved in swaying the public's opinion in the Ministry's favor," added Remus Lupin.

"I agree that the current situation will make our job much more difficult," said Dumbledore, "but it won't be impossible. We've already managed to recruit Aurors into the Order, and we have people here that work at the Ministry. We should be able to manage just fine. As for Cornelius, you will just have to be extremely careful around him. I would recommend as little contact with each other at the Ministry as possible. Limit as much of your discussion as you can to Order meetings. Understood?"

When everyone in the kitchen gave some sign of consent, the headmaster continued. "In addition to informing the general public, we will also need to try and persuade those that the Ministry has labeled as Dark or Magical creatures: werewolves, goblins, merpeople, vampires, centaurs, giants, house-elves, all of them."

"I can talk to some of the goblins at Gringotts," said Bill, "although they might be too wrapped up in their gold to worry about You-Know-Who."

"That is a possibility," said Dumbledore, "but they usually ensure us the privilege of being heard out."

"I suppose I would be the best candidate to speak with the werewolves?" said Remus, smirking.

"If you would, Remus," said the headmaster. "I'm sure Amos Diggory would be willing to help you."

"Why inform house-elves?" asked Sturgis Podmore. I mean, they would have to gain permission from their owners to fight, wouldn't they?"

"Not necessarily," said Elphias Doge. "There have been some cases of house-elves leaving their masters' home without permission. But you do have a point; most house-elves would refuse to leave their masters without permission."

"We're not trying to make an army out of them!" said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

"Sirius is right," said Dumbledore. "We just need to make sure that they know what is going on. They will recall how they were treated during Voldemort's – " some were still flinching, " – first rise to power. The Hogwarts house-elves have already decided to take care of this matter."

"How are we going to contact the giants?" asked Emmeline Vance.

"I already have people taking care of that as we speak," said the headmaster. Remus and Sirius smiled at each other.

"The centaurs are not going to want to side with us," said McGonagall. "Not after all the anti-Dark creature legislation that that woman has passed – "

"You mean Dolores Umbridge?" asked Sirius.

"Who'zat?" asked Mundungus.

"She's currently the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," said Remus. "She's recently passed all sorts of legislation against werewolves, Dark creatures, and any other half-breeds out there. If it's not fully-wizard, she hates it."

"But werewolves are wizards!" said Bill.

"Not to her."

"So does that means the merpeople will probably not listen to us either?" asked McGonagall.

"Not necessarily," said Dumbledore. "The merpeople understand what Voldemort's return means for them; they suffered a number of losses the last time he was in power. I spoke with them briefly yesterday, and they sounded as if they were not too keen to take any risks at all. They will listen."

"That still leaves the vampires," said Mad-Eye. "How're we going to convince them?"

"I'm still working on that, but I believe that we might be too late to speak with most of them. I have recently been informed that Voldemort has already made contact with a majority of the vampire colonies in Britain," said the headmaster, glancing at Snape. "I also have reason to believe that Voldemort is also in control of the Dementors, which brings us to our next article of business: securing Azkaban. The Minister will be on the lookout for any activity that might suggest that we are trying to tamper with the current system, so we will have to approach the situation with extreme caution."

"I can take care of that," said Mad-Eye, "but I'll need some help."

"That can be arranged," said Dumbledore, taking out his twelve-handed pocket watch and checking the time. "It's getting a bit late, so I will let you all go shortly. If you are able to help Alastor, remain here for a few moments. And I would like a word with you, Sirius. Also, a word of caution: be very careful of what you put into writing. Anything in question is best left unwritten. Other than that, I hereby declare this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix complete. You are all dismissed."

Chair legs scraped against the floor as witches and wizards stood up to exit the kitchen. A few stayed behind to crowd around Mad-Eye. "Arthur, dear, could you bring the children down here for dinner?" Sirius heard Mrs. Weasley say as he walked up to the headmaster.

Dumbledore, who had just finished speaking with Snape, turned his attention to the Animagus as the Potions Master crossed the kitchen to speak with Mad-Eye. "So, what's this about?"

"I know you are going to want to help out the other Order members with some of the things that we need to get done, but I am afraid that I cannot let you do that."

"What?" said Sirius, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"As I'm sure you are aware, the Ministry of Magic is still searching for you as we speak. We cannot take the risk of you being exposed."

"And what about my Animagus form? The Ministry knows nothing of it!"

"But Voldemort will undoubtedly find out from Peter, if he has not already. Even if the Ministry does not know that you are an Animagus, the Death Eaters will. We run the risk of you being arrested again if anyone finds out that you are here in Britain, so until your name is cleared, you will not leave Grimmauld Place."

Sirius stayed silent, staring at Dumbledore, before sighing in defeat. "All right," he mumbled, shifting his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," said the headmaster, placing a hand on the younger wizard's shoulder, "but the last thing we want is for the Ministry to find you and throw you back into Azkaban."

"Right," said the Animagus, making to leave the kitchen, his eyes still not meeting Dumbledore's. "Thanks."

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	12. Chapter 12: Wallowing in Self-Pity

**Disclaimer:** Well…I still don't own Harry Potter…

Hey guys!

Wow, it's only been a week since I last posted, and I'm dishing out another chapter! That's so amazing for me! Alert the presses, call in the Aurors, and bring out the butterbeer!

This chapter might seem slightly shorter that the last few, but I reached my goal of putting out over 1,000 words…which I know is nothing compared to some stories, but I'm trying, really, I am! I'll shoot for something longer in chapter 13, so please stick with this story!

Well, I hope you all enjoy, and please don't forget to review!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 12: Wallowing in Self-Pity

Sirius Black shut the kitchen door behind him rather forcefully. He resisted the urge to slam the door off its hinges; he was not in the mood for another shouting match with his mother's portrait. The Animagus headed for the stairs, but suddenly stopped at the sound of his least favorite person's voice. "Black, kindly watch how you close doors in the future. You are not the only person that has to be in this wretched house."

Sirius turned around so that he was face to face with Severus Snape. "Oh, how careless of me. I'll be sure to crush your fingers next time."

"That is no way to speak to a person that risks his life for you, now is it?"

"The day you risk your bloody life for me, Snape, is the day that you become Head of Gryffindor!" he spat.

"Now, Black, just because I am able to offer my services to the Order while you sit back comfortably with those bothersome adolescence does not call for you to use such foul language. I am not responsible for your lack of contribution to the Order. A pity, really. It almost seems as if you just…take up space down in that kitchen."

"And just because you can go hang out with all of your Death Eater mates doesn't mean you're doing anything useful!"

Sirius almost did not see what was coming. Almost. In a flash, the Potions Master had a hand on his shoulder and had pushed him against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. The tip of Snape's wand was digging painfully into the Animagus' throat. Fortunately for Sirius, his own reflexes were not too rusty. As the Potions Master drew his wand, he took out his own wand and pointed it between Snape's eyes.

"Go ahead, _Snivellus_," chuckled the Animagus, tapping his wand against the other wizard's temple, "finish what you were going to do in the Shack. I'm sure the Ministry will get down on bended knee and worship you if you do."

"I'm sure they would," he said, pushing the tip of his wand a little deeper into the other man's neck, "but we both know that Dumbledore would not allow me the pleasure of doing such a thing."

"Severus?" said Remus Lupin, shutting the kitchen door behind himself. "Sirius? What are you two doing?"

The Potions Master withdrew his wand and pushed the other wizard roughly to the side. "Just stay out of my way, Black," he said as he strode to the front door, his cloak billowing behind him.

"Same to you," said the Animagus as Snape shut the door behind himself.

The hallway was filled with silence; Mrs. Black had not started screaming. The werewolf kept completely still, staring at his friend as he massaged his throat. "Sirius – ?" Remus began, but the Animagus stormed up the stairs before the werewolf could say anything else.

"Sirius? Sirius, wait!" Remus strode after his friend. He tried to keep up, but it was nearly impossible because the Animagus was determined to lose him. The werewolf followed him into his room, catching the door before it slammed in his face.

"Sirius, calm down!" he said as the Animagus flopped onto the bed.

"Go away, Remus," he rasped dully, flipping onto his stomach and covering his head with a pillow.

"What's wrong? You're not the type to let what Severus says bother you." The werewolf sat on the edge of the bed.

"I don't care what he says."

"It doesn't seem that way."

"I was just letting off some steam."

"So you're not angry at him?"

"Other than him reminding me of how useless I am and him being a smarmy bastard, I don't really have a reason to be angry with him."

"Useless?" questioned Remus, gently pulling the pillow out of Sirius' hands. "Padfoot, what – ?"

"After the meeting," said the Animagus, "when Dumbledore spoke with me. Snape must have either overheard our conversation or saw us talking and made a lucky guess. Dumbledore told me that I'm not allowed to leave this house because the Ministry is still after me, which means I can do virtually nothing to help the Order. And don't tell me that he's right, Moony, even if he is." He sighed. "I know he is, but…I don't know…maybe I just feel like wallowing in self-pity right now."

"So you're not even allowed to leave here as Snuffles?"

"No. Peter will have told Voldemort all about me by now, so my big disguise is gone."

"Can't you do something low key? Surely you could at least help Mad-Eye in securing Azkaban?"

"Dumbledore will just say that it's too risky to have me so close to Azkaban." His eyes darkened. "And I don't want to have to go near there ever again. I hate this place, but if I have to choose between here and Azkaban, the decision's obvious."

"Right."

"I just don't want this bloody house to become my second prison. Not again."

"I know, Padfoot, I know. Listen, Molly's making dinner. Come back down with me."

The Animagus closed his eyes. "I'd rather not."

"Shall I save you a seat, then?"

"No."

"Sirius – "

"Remus!" he said irritably. "I've just been told that I'm all but useless to the Order, that git has just shoved that fact in my face, I'm stuck in this blasted place with that infernal house-elf, and there is a dull throbbing behind both of my eyes." He sighed. "I'm not hungry."

The werewolf sighed and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll come back up after dinner. Will you be all right?"

The Animagus just rolled over onto his side. "Sure," he muttered.

……………………………

When Remus returned, a large black dog was curled up on the floor, apparently asleep. The werewolf sighed, lying down on the bed. He felt unbearably tired and closed his eyes. He was on the verge of nodding off, but he suddenly felt the bed dip. Remus opened his eyes. "Padfoot?" The Animagus flopped down next to him. The shock sent the werewolf a few inches off the bed. "Oof! Watch it, Sirius!"

The Animagus replied by putting his nose under Remus' hand and whimpering slightly.

The werewolf smiled and ran a hand over the dog's head. "Sorry, but sometimes you don't know your own strength," he said, scratching the Animagus' neck. "It seems that I've stolen your bed. Do you want me to leave?" Remus made to get up, but the dog whined again and put a paw on the werewolf's chest, pushing him back down. "I guess you don't." Remus shifted onto his side and hugged Sirius like a giant teddy bear. "You know, Padfoot, it's at times like these that I'm glad you don't smell like a real dog."

The dog made a noise that almost sounded like a laugh, but years of friendship with Sirius allowed the werewolf to recognize that the effort was only half-hearted. "Don't worry, Padfoot. Things will get better. At least you know that you'll be able to welcome Harry right when he gets here."

The Animagus opened his eyes and his ears perked up. Remus laughed. "Well, that got your attention, didn't it?"

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	13. Chapter 13: Scars

**Disclaimer:** For your pre-reading enjoyment…

Once upon a time, in a town so sublime,  
Lived quite an intelligent girl.  
She conjured a scheme, fool-proof it would seem,  
And so thought she'd give it a whirl.  
She decided to tell everyone she knew well  
That she'd written a fabulous thing.  
A story of witches, Aurors, and Snitches,  
That to fame and fortune would cling.  
But as you would spy, she told a great lie,  
About this quite wonderful tale,  
Which was written by Rowling, who did some great prowling,  
To bring all her work to the scale.  
This foolish young lass, her fib did not pass,  
And thus met a terrible fate.  
For on Halloween, proper justice was seen,  
She was killed by her suppertime plate.  
How did death come? wondered the some  
That loved the poor girl quite dearly.  
An old man could explain how the little miss was slain  
And he soon enlightened them rather clearly.  
"The ghosts and the ghouls, they are not fools,  
They know what is both right and wrong.  
Those magical creatures distorted her features  
Because she sang such a false song.  
So I won't tell that lie, I won't even try  
To make you think such a great thing  
Harry Potter's not mine, however divine  
The gifts such a thought would sure bring.

Hey guys!

Well, it's taken a while again, and I know you don't like waiting, but I've got the next chapter ready, so I hope you'll forgive me. I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to finish _The Burdens of a Lioness_ if that's an excuse. Thank you so much to all those that read and reviewed the last chapter!

I hope you enjoy!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 13: Scars

The house was pitch black. What little light the moon was shining into the home was casting dreary shadows upon the old pieces of furniture. This would have made the place quite eerie if it was not already. But even in the midst of darkness, both physically and magically, all was quiet within Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place so early in the morning. All witches and wizards currently residing in the Black Family house were sleeping soundly, all the cares of the war momentarily forgotten. Well, all witches and wizards except one…and a muttering old house-elf.

"Wakey wakey, my master, the filthy blood traitor. If my mistress only knew what he was doing to her house – "

"Kreacher, SHUT UP!" said Sirius Black, covering his head with a pillow.

" – Who he is bringing here – "

"Why you diminutive – "

" – Filthy little brats are sleeping here, their parents are blood traitors too – "

"One more word out of you, and I'll hang your head on the wall!"

"Sirius, what's going on?" said Remus Lupin, peeking his head into the room from the doorway.

"It's the werewolf," said the house-elf, looking over his shoulder. "He is Master's friend, and a filthy half-breed – "

"Kreacher, downstairs, _now!_"

"Lower your voice, Sirius," said Remus, walking over to the bed as the house-elf shuffled out, still muttering. He sat on the edge. "You'll wake everyone up. It's only five-thirty."

"Then why are you up?" asked the Animagus, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Does it really matter?"

"I guess not. But Moony?"

"Yes, Sirius?"

"Why are you here?"

"Actually, I came in here to stop you from waking up the entire house. I didn't think they would appreciate being roused by your barking at Kreacher."

"Really? And here I thought you had come to have a heart-to-heart chat with your old pal. Guess I was wrong."

"Well now…I know how much you enjoy having deep conversations, so you may engage in one at any time."

"You know, Moony, I just might take you up on that offer; it's rather tempting. But I think I want breakfast first," said Sirius, pushing off the covers as he stretched, revealing his naked torso. He opened his eyes when he heard his friend gasp.

"Remus?"

"Padfoot," said Remus slowly.

"What? What's wrong?"

"What is this?" he asked, running a finger lightly across a scar that extended from under his left rib all the way to above his right hip bone.

Sirius stiffened. He closed his eyes; the Animagus already knew what his friend was talking about. "It's a scar."

"From what? Don't tell me – "

"No, it wasn't from one of your transformations." The Animagus sat up, wincing slightly as the joints in his neck popped. "You've never done any lasting damage to any of us."

"Are you sure?"

"Would I lie to you about something like this?"

"Well – "

"Don't answer that," said Sirius. "I'm not lying. I promise. I never got any scars from that fight we had at the end of fifth year, and that was the worst scuffle we've ever had. This is…something else."

"Then what, Sirius? Where is it from?"

The Animagus let out a shuddering sigh. "I did it."

"What?"

"I did it. In Azkaban."

"You? _You_ did it?" said the werewolf, eyes widening. "But why?"

"I – I just…look, it's hard to explain."

"You can tell me."

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to see your disappointment."

"Sirius, what are you – ?"

"I've already let you down by letting them throw me into Azkaban. You were left alone with horrible memories that I helped create. No one was there to comfort or console you after…it happened. I'm sure the funerals were small, and I heard that you left the country before that. You never really got to see them before they died."

"I didn't want to see them," whispered Remus softly. "I knew that if I did, I would snap. The war had me close to breaking as it was. It was just the last straw."

"I'm so sorry Moony – "

"Don't change the subject, Sirius. Tell me what happened."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"_Yes_."

The Animagus sighed. "I'm sure you know that people go mad in there."

"In Azkaban, you mean?"

"Yeah. They're holed up with their memories. And their thoughts. They lose their will to live. Stop eating. Stop sleeping. Some people just…want to end it all. So they take their lives into their own hands. Some got away with it. Some did not. And then if a Dementor found you before you died, a Mungo's Healer was called in to fix you up. I guess they aren't satisfied if there aren't enough wizards to suck the happiness from."

"How is that possible, though? I've heard that the cells are completely empty."

"They are, but it's almost amazing how…creative…people get in there." He stopped, and sighed shakily.

Remus saw that his friend was visibly trembling. "Calm down, Padfoot," he said, placing his hands over Sirius' surprisingly cold ones. "You don't have to go on."

"I've already started, I might as well finish. The cells are completely empty, as you said, but they're also not very well-kept. Sometimes pieces of stone break away from the walls. I don't really remember when it happened, but I picked one up and started sharpening it. It took a while before I got it right, but it worked. I remember feeling really light-headed…and seeing a whole lot of red. The next time I woke up, they had cleaned me up and wrapped all my wounds. That was probably the most…humane of them, and I don't really want to discuss the rest. At least not yet. Not now."

"But Sirius, you knew you were innocent," said the werewolf quietly, tracing another visible scar on his friend's lower arm.

"I still lost it sometimes, even though I knew I was innocent," he said dully. "Dementors just have a way of doing that to a person, Moony."

"Oh, Padfoot," he whispered, wrapping his arms around his friend's neck, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Moony."

"Yes, it is!" he sobbed. The Animagus felt a tear drop onto his shoulder. "I should have known! I should have _never _doubted your innocence! How many times? How many times did you do this to yourself?"

"Stop, Remus – "

"How many times, Sirius? I want to know."

The Animagus started shaking, so he wrapped his arms tightly around his friend to calm himself. "Every time I couldn't take it. Every time it was too much for me to handle. Every time I hated myself for not finding you and apologizing before I went after him."

"But that's not your – "

"Don't start that, Remus," said Sirius, pulling away from the werewolf. He brushed away a stray tear on the other wizard's cheek and looked him in the eye. "I _know_ it's my fault. I let old prejudice and my own blindness get in the way of what mattered most. Everything after Peter fled pointed to me as the spy, so you had more than enough reason to think of me as a traitor. I knew that I had made a mistake when I went to Godric's Hollow on Halloween. But I didn't even tell you; I didn't even bother to think about what you were feeling or thinking or anything. I just went after him in a blind fury. I was so _stupid_ to have put my trust in him. I was so foolish as to even think that you would betray us. I had nothing to back up my thinking, nothing but a false hunch. And instead of protecting James and Lily, all I managed to do is give Harry a life without real parents and give that bastard a chance to bring back his old master. And I nearly succeeded in mucking up our friendship, which is the one thing that kept me going for those twelve years." His face was now tear-streaked, but he brushed them away angrily with his hand. "If anyone's done anything wrong, it's me."

Suddenly, Remus smiled. "But I know that you didn't really mean it. I've already forgiven you. And I know that Harry doesn't blame you. We all know who is really at fault, and it's not you, if you can believe it. Now, let's go downstairs; I think Molly's finished up breakfast," he said, jumping up and pulling Sirius up with him.

"Hey, easy there, Moony!" said the Animagus, stumbling a bit before stretching once more. "I'm getting old; I might've popped a disc in my spine when you did that."

"Oh, Padfoot, you're not old!" he said, throwing a shirt to his friend from the dresser. "Senile, maybe, but definitely not old!"

"Shut up before I push you down the stairs," said Sirius, buttoning up the shirt as they left the room. "And I'm _serious!_ My back might have been realigned!"

"Padfoot, I already know your name, you don't need to remind me! You're the senile one! Ouch!"

"I am _not _senile! A raving lunatic, perhaps, but not senile."

"Okay then, you're a raving lunatic," he said as they entered the kitchen.

"Hello, you two," said Mrs. Weasley as she placed a high stack of toast on the table. "I thought you were the children with the ruckus you were making! You both look a little peaky, is there anything wrong?"

"No, Molly," said Remus, sitting down, "everything's fine."

"In fact," said Sirius, taking his place next to the other wizard, "things have never been better."

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Yay, you made it to the end! Thanks so much for reading, and I'd really, really, _really_ appreciate it if you reviewed this chapter! All you have to do is press that pretty purple button at the bottom left of the page! Thanks again!


	14. Chapter 14: Cleaning

**Disclaimer: **Okay, I know that _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ will confirm all of my previous disclaimers, but I'll just say it again: all characters, magical creatures, locations, and everything else pertaining to the Harry Potter series belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I'm merely borrowing her creations temporarily for your enjoyment.

Hey guys!

I know, I know…you all thought I abandoned this fic. Well, I'm here to prove that I didn't! I've been very busy (ya know…dancing, taking a trip to Japan again, and keeping up with life in general…and I start school again on Tuesday), and I was struggling for inspiration. What I ended up doing a few days ago was just rereading everything that I had written, and I kinda figured out where I wanted to go with this. I hope you will all enjoy!

Once again, thank you so much to all those who took the time to review! Some of you even reviewed months after my last post, which really helped to remind me that I still have a job to do!

Thanks so much!

saiyanwizardgurl

Chapter 14: Cleaning

"Now then, we need a few more guest rooms in this place," said Mrs. Weasley to the seven witches and wizards standing before her. "Alastor's had a look up at the four rooms on the third floor, and they're all perfectly safe, but they are all quite dirty, so it will be your job to clean them up."

"Aren't you going to help us?" asked Ron.

"I would, but there's another Order meeting tonight, so I have to start making dinner already. Besides, you want lunch, right?"

"Yeah, all right."

"Good. Now you five behave yourselves," said Mrs. Weasley, eyeing Fred and George specifically. "If I hear that you're giving Remus and Sirius trouble – "

"Hey, give us a bit more credit!" said Fred.

"Yeah, mum, you know that we'll be perfect little angels like we always are," said George, drawing an invisible halo over his head.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"You needn't worry about them, Molly," said Remus, pleasantly.

"They won't give us any trouble," assured Sirius.

"Thank you for watching them," said Mrs. Weasley, turning to leave. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Yeah, and you'll be the first one I call if I get attacked by dust bunnies," grumbled Ron.

"Stop it, Ronald!" said Hermione, hitting him on the head.

"Ouch, Hermione! Whose side are you on anyway?"

"Your mum's the one that makes sure that we all don't starve, so be nice to her," said Hermione.

"Yes, but she's not the one that comes downstairs covered in dust and looking like an old grandfather every day, now is she?"

Sirius laughed. "Come on, kids, let's go," he said, shooing them all upstairs.

"Hey, we're not kids," said George.

"Yeah, we're seventeen already!" said Fred.

"So you two can clean up for us," said Ron.

"No way, little bro," said George.

"We just get to use magic while we clean," said Fred with a grin.

"I'm not sure about that," said Remus as they reached the second floor landing.

"Yeah, parts of the house might reject magical interference with some of its darker artifacts," said the Animagus.

"But surely one could dust with magic at least?" asked Hermione.

"Who knows," said Sirius. "We'll find out when we try."

"Why is the house so dirty, anyway?" asked Ginny. "I thought I saw a house-elf around here."

"You mean Kreacher?" asked the Animagus. "He's useless. I expect that he's just let the house mold and fester since my mum died. Probably likes the smell."

"You shouldn't be so mean to him," said Hermione reproachfully.

"You would be mean to him, too, if he kept muttering foul indecencies under his breath at you," said Sirius.

"He already does that, right?" said Ron.

"All the more reason to retaliate," stated the Animagus.

"My goodness," said Remus as he opened the door to one of the bedrooms they were to be cleaning.

"Merlin's beard!" exclaimed Hermione.

"Merlin's dirty sock is more like it," said Ron.

"What are you – ? Merlin's holey wife-beater!" shouted George. "What on earth happened to this room?"

It was _filthy_. The walls, which Sirius had remembered as being grey, were almost black with grime. The floor was covered with little flecks of dirt and what appeared to be goose feathers. All of the glass panes of the cabinets lining the walls were shattered, littering the ground with sharp, glimmering pieces. The broken pieces of a potted plant, now long dead, were scattered around the room. A table was roughly shoved in the corner. A wooden chair that matched the table was lying on its side in the middle of the floor; two of its legs were broken. A bed was shoved onto its headboard and was leaning against the wall opposite the door. Everything was covered in an inch of thick, powdery dust.

"Oh, it can't be that bad," said Ginny.

"Oh, it can," said Sirius as he walked into the room before her.

"Merlin's moldy shoe! This is disgusting!" she said as she spotted a pile of dirty rags in the corner.

"Now children," chided Fred, who was still in the hallway and therefore could not see the state of the room, "let's not be too loud, lest our dear mum hears – Merlin's fungus-crusted shorts!"

"'Fungus-crusted shorts,' Fred?" said George, his eyebrow raised.

"It describes this room better than a holey wife-beater," replied his twin.

"True," he said. "Well, I suppose we should get to work, since the fungus won't clean itself."

"Right," said Remus. "Let's see if we can clear the dust first." He drew his wand. "_Evanesco!_"

POOF. Instead of the filth vanishing as was intended, it merely shot into the air as if all the broken objects in the room had shaken it off. This was followed by a long bout of coughing by the seven witches and wizards in the room.

"Apparently, it doesn't work," said Sirius, stumbling out of the room as he finally regained his breath. His voice was muffled by the hand he had put over his mouth.

"Remind me – _achoo!_ – to never try that again," sniffled the werewolf as he scooted out of the room.

"It's all right, we had no way of knowing," said the Animagus. "Let's clean in here while the dust settles."

They clambered into the adjacent room. Its filth rivaled that of the previous room, but none of the furniture was broken. The light shining through an uncovered window gave the effect that the room was being blurred by dense fog.

"I guess we have to clean the Muggle way," said George, looking crestfallen.

"Alas, brother, I believe you are right," replied Fred, placing a hand to his forehead in imitation of a fainting princess. "We'll just have to bear with it."

"Speak for yourself," grumbled Ron.

"It's not that bad," scoffed Hermione.

"We need rags and cleaner for this," said Ginny.

"And a mop," said Fred.

"But first, a broom," said George.

"That we should be able to conjure with magic," said Sirius.

"Good," said Remus, pulling out his wand. He hesitated for a moment before walking into the hallway just outside the entrance. "Still, one can never be too careful in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." With a gentle wave of his wand, cleaning supplies appeared at the foot of the door. "Knowing your father, he would have placed a jinx on this room to attack any wizard that tries to clean it," he said, picking up a bucket and a sponge.

Sirius, Remus, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny spent the entire morning scrubbing, dusting, and scouring the extra rooms on the third floor, all (to Fred and George's disappointment and Ron's despair) without the use of magical cleaning methods. By mid afternoon, there was not a speck of dust to be found in any of the four rooms.

The Animagus stood back to admire their handiwork. "Not bad for a bunch of wizards cleaning the Muggle way."

"You forget that Hermione grew up in a Muggle household," said the werewolf.

"That's why I said _wizards_," he replied.

"What about Ginny?" asked Ron.

"I figure she can take care of herself, so there's no problem there," said Sirius. "Besides, growing up with six brothers, I'm sure Molly's asked her to help clean up after you boys at one time or another."

"You figure right," said Ginny.

"Now way," said George. "Mum would never make you clean our room."

"I should hope not," she replied. "I don't think I would come out in one piece."

"Now, now, young lady," chided Fred, "there's not a speck of dust in our room that would ever harm your pretty little head. It's dear Ronald's room you have to worry about."

"Hey, my room's just fine, thank you!" said Ron indignantly, tossing an unused rag at his brother.

"Temper, temper," sighed Fred.

"That'll get you into trouble someday," said George.

"Oh, knock it off," said Hermione. "We still have to get the furniture back into this last room."

"Fine, fine," they grumbled, shuffling out into the hallway.

The room, which was quite spacious, looked a lot cozier with a dresser, a table and chair, and squashy armchair. After getting stuck in the doorway three times, they were finally able to bring the bed in.

"I look older than Great Uncle Sagittarius," sighed Ron, gazing at his reflection in the mirror that Hermione had just hung.

"It could be worse," said Fred.

"How?"

"You could look like Great Uncle Marcus," said George. "You just have to stoop a bit."

"Or you could look like Great Aunt Tessie," said Ginny.

"I'd rather look like Great Uncle Marcus," said Ron, horrified as Sirius, Remus, Fred, George, and Ginny laughed in the background.

"Oh, honestly," said Hermione.

"She's quite right, dear," said the mirror. "If you just washed daily – "

"Oh, shut up," grumbled Ron as the others burst into another fit of laughter.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. I would really appreciate a review; it gets the creative juices flowing, ya know. I won't promise that I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow because I don't want to break any promise I make to you readers, but I will promise to not abandon this fic and to put up the next post as fast as I can!


	15. Chapter 15: Wolfsbane

**Disclaimer: **All characters, magical creatures, locations, and everything else pertaining to the Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling. No profit is being made from this story in any way.

HEY GUYS!

Everyone's reaction: …Ummm…who are you?

I know, I know. I must say, my mouth literally DROPPED OPEN when I saw that it had been over five years since I updated this story. Yes, five years. Actually, it's pushing more towards six years minus a couple of months. I knew that it had been almost two years since I had posted anything (my last update was chapter 8 of _And Thou Shalt Be First_…check it out if you haven't already!), but seriously, myself. WHAT THE HECK?!

So what do I have to show for the five—pushing six—years of abandonment? Well…two college degrees, countless dance performances, and a brand-new job that took two months of company-specific training to be certified for. I am really grateful that I was given the opportunity to pursue all of these avenues, but I'm still quite shocked that I have left this project alone for so long.

In case anyone is wondering, this is not the last chapter for this story. However, it is highly likely that the next chapter will be the last (I've started on it already…yay!). Regardless of how much is left, I will see this story to its final word!

Lastly, thank you so much to all those who took the time to read and review over these five or so years! I completely understand how frustrating it is to wait for an author's next update, especially when you find a story that you really like. I also wouldn't blame anyone for giving up on this story ever being updated, but if there is even one person waiting by faithfully, I am ever so grateful.

Thank you so much!

saiyanwizard

Chapter 15: Wolfsbane

Chair legs scraped against the cold stone flooring in the kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Remus noticed that Sirius was the first person to exit the kitchen. The Animagus has made a beeline for the door as soon as Dumbledore had closed the meeting, and Remus had barely caught a glimpse of him before he slipped past the door frame. Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—only Tonks noticed her cousin's departure. She turned to the werewolf and shrugged.

Remus sighed. He had hoped that the Animagus would eventually come to terms with his "confinement" at Number Twelve, but it seemed that his friend was surlier than ever. Of course, he realized that there was more to Sirius' resentment than not being able to leave the house. Walburga Black's psychotic screeching combined with Kreacher's insane mutterings ensured that there was rarely a moment of peace and quiet in the house. The constant comings and goings of other Order members reminded him that witches and wizards were risking their lives for the Light and that the Animagus was not allowed to fight alongside them. And while there was still a lot of cleaning up to do at Grimmauld Place, the work was repetitive and monotonous, hardly comparable to what was occurring outside those dank, dreary walls. Snape took every opportunity to throw Sirius snide remarks just in case the Animagus forgot.

The sound of Mrs. Weaslye's voice broke Remus out of his dour musings. "Why don't you stay for dinner tonight, Albus? There'll be plenty of food."

"As tempting as your cooking is, I'm afraid I can't tonight," began the headmaster, holding up his hands when the Weasley matron showed signs of protesting. "You know that I would love to, Molly, but I have much to attend to with the school year beginning in less than a month. I have a meeting with the Heads of House later on tonight, and—" He paused briefly before leaning in closer. "And I am still in the process of looking for a suitable instructor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. If I may say, this may be a particularly difficult year for Hogwarts."

Molly nodded sympathetically and decided to back down. "Hopefully next time, then?"

"Your invitation is always welcome," replied Dumbledore. "I bid you farewell." The headmaster strode up to meet Professor McGonagall, who was standing at the door waiting for him. They both left together to return to Hogwarts.

"Honestly, those two need to be careful," sighed Molly as she turned to the stove to stir a big pot of stew. "They're going to work themselves to death. Minerva looks worse for wear, and Albus looks like he's about to fall over!"

Remus looked around the kitchen and found it empty. The other Order members must have left during her exchange with Dumbledore. Even though the werewolf had remained, he could not tell if Mrs. Weasley was talking to him or herself. Or the stew pot. "Did you need any help, Molly?" he asked, cursing silently when his voice came out much hoarser than it usually did.

"What was that?" asked Mrs. Weasley, slightly startled out of her conversation with the stew pot. "Oh! No, Remus, that's very thoughtful of you, but Ginny promised to help me with dinner tonight," she replied. "You go on up and rest for a bit. If you see Ginny, dear, tell her that she can come in. Everything should be ready in about an hour."

"Thanks, Molly," said Remus before moving to go find Sirius. He had given his friend enough time to cool off.

"Oh, and Remus, dear?" called Mrs. Weasley from the stove.

"Yes?" he replied, sticking his head back into the doorframe.

"Are you sure you're all right? You look a bit peaky," she said with concern.

Remus mentally kicked himself for not clearing his throat first earlier. "Yes, Molly. The Wolfsbane Potion helps a lot with the full moon's side effects. There's nothing to worry about, but thank you for asking." He was feeling more stiff and tired than the day before. The werewolf made sure to smile warmly so as not to invite any further questioning.

He made his way up to the ground floor, his right knee creaking in time with each stair. He sighed as he reached the foot of the stairs leading to the second landing. Well, at least going up was easier than going down.

Grimmauld Place was a vast house to say the least, but Remus had a fairly good idea of where he would find his friend. He poked his head into the library and frowned when he did not see the Animagus. "Sirius?" he called lightly, rounding one of the bookshelves in search of his friend. No such luck. Puzzled, the werewolf left the room and shuffled down the hall to the drawing room. It was a little more comfortable with a few sofas and a fireplace.

Sure enough, the Animagus was standing in front of a large cathedral window in the drawing room with his back to the doorframe. This was one of the first rooms that they had cleaned up upon arriving at Grimmauld Place. There were few Dark artifacts in this room, which made it easy to clear. They had even been able to charm the cathedral window to only let those inside see through it. Anyone outside would only be able to see black panes (if they could even see the house), but the sun was still able to shine in. It made for a much brighter atmosphere. _Maybe that's why he came up here._

"What took you so long?" asked Sirius without turning around. He did not seem happy, but his tone was neutral. Remus took this as a good sign.

"I was certain you would be hiding in the library." He hobbled over to an armchair, hoping that he would reach his destination before the Animagus saw him.

"Nah, Moony, that's you! I can't hang out in there _all _the time. Studying makes me—" He turned around, the slight smile playing on his face fading as he caught sight of the werewolf. "Why are you limping?"

Remus sighed. So much for being discreet. "You know why."

"That bad, huh?" he asked, reaching out to help his friend.

The offer was waved away gently. "No more than usual on an afternoon before the full moon," replied Remus, pulling his right leg in with his hand once he sat down. Sirius pulled out his wand and waved it, sending a footrest from across the room to in front of the werewolf's armchair. "Thanks, Pads."

"You sure you're all right?" the Animagus asked as the other wizard lifted his leg onto the footrest gingerly.

"Not entirely, but I'll manage," he sighed as he leaned back. "Rather, are you sure that it's okay for me to stay here tonight?"

"Of course, Moony! There's plenty of space in Buckbeak's bedroom—"

"Just don't forget to lock the door," came a snide remark from the doorway.

"Snape!" growled Sirius, attempting to fight the urge to draw his wand again. He clenched his fist and shoved it in his pocket.

"Black," he replied smoothly, returning the glare. The Potions Master was quite composed, but the slight edge in his tone indicated that he was ready for a fight if it came his way.

"Stop it, you two," said Remus, moving to stand up. He winced as he moved his leg. _Easy now, _he thought. _Up you go._ "Or do I have to bind you both?"

"Hardly," retorted Snape, casting his gaze on the other wizard. "I believe you require this," he continued, proffering a smoking goblet from somewhere in the fold of his black robes. "Should you be so careless as to spill it, I have more in my laboratory should you require it."

"Thank you, Severus," said Remus as he took the goblet from the other wizard. "I'll be very careful with this. I know that you have to go through a lot of trouble to—"

"Save it, Lupin. I am not in the mood for your patronizing this afternoon," drawled the Potions Master. "Just make sure you drink it _all_. We would not want you to lose control again," he said, spinning around and storming out of the room.

Remus glanced at Sirius and saw that the Animagus was seething. Smirking slightly at the fact that some things never changed, he placed a hand on the other wizard's shoulder. After several deep breaths, Sirius finally spoke. "Well…that was really rude."

Remus chuckled. "Here," he said, pushing the goblet into his friend's hands, "hold this. And don't you dare spill it! Severus won't be happy if he has to come back."

Sirius really did not care if Snape was inconvenienced, but he also did not want to cause trouble for his friend. "Don't you ever wonder if he's poisoned this?" he asked lightly as he watched his friend lower himself into the armchair once more. The stiff leg was lifted again to sit upon the footrest.

"Padfoot, I _trust_ him," said Remus, reaching out for the goblet. "Severus has never tried to poison me before. He may not like me, but he is at least civil."

"I'm civil," grumbled the Animagus as he walked around the coffee table to flop down onto the sofa.

Remus swirled the contents of the goblet around as if it was a fine wine. "Yes, I suppose you are. When you want to be." He took a deep breath before bringing the goblet to his lips and downing the potion in several long gulps. Remus pulled a face as he swallowed the last of the Wolfsbane Potion.

"How is that stuff?" asked Sirius, eyeing his friend and not liking how the color had blanched from his face.

The werewolf took several deep breaths to prevent the potion from coming back up. "Positively revolting," he coughed, "but I need it."

The Animagus looked skeptical. "Do you really?"

"I would rather lose any appetite I might have had than lose control of my faculties," replied Remus, placing the goblet down on the coffee table.

"Don't let Molly hear you say that. She'll be offering you four servings of everything instead of three."

The werewolf rubbed his face tiredly. "Remind me to eat a lot after the full moon."

"Moony," said Sirius, rolling his eyes, "you _always_ eat a lot after the full moon."

"Usually, not always," he remarked. "I've been feeling a bit under the weather, so I may not feel like eating for a while."

"Now that you mention it," said the Animagus, peering closely at his friend's face, "you have looked off-color this week." He placed a hand on the werewolf's forehead. "More so than usual, anyway."

Remus resisted the urge to smack Sirius' hands away. While he appreciated his friend's attentiveness and care, he was feeling strangely claustrophobic. Additionally, the urge to vomit had not left him yet. He closed his eyes. "Personal space, Padfoot."

Sirius blinked. He smirked before removing his hand. "Got it." He hovered awkwardly over Remus for several moments before deciding to sit back down on the sofa.

"What time is it?" asked Remus suddenly.

Sirius looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. "Almost six."

"Molly should be finishing up dinner soon." The werewolf pushed himself out of the armchair reluctantly and moved to head downstairs. He made it all the way to the doorway before realizing that his were the only footsteps he heard. He turned back to see that Sirius had not moved from his spot on the sofa and was staring pensively at the coffee table. "Aren't you coming?" asked Remus.

"What?" said the Animagus, startled out of his thoughts. "Nah, you go ahead."

"Why?" inquired the werewolf. He did not like that Sirius' lack of appetite was surfacing with increased frequency. "You're not hungry?"

"Molly's irritated with me," he murmured quietly.

"Padfoot," he sighed, exasperated, "she's not irritated with you. Or at least she wasn't an hour ago."

"She was," Sirius insisted. "I'd rather not push any more buttons tonight."

Not to be deterred, Remus tried again. "Just for a little bit? I can't stay long anyway. Fortunately the moon rises later in the summer."

"No thanks," said the Animagus, leaning his head against the sofa.

Remus sighed. He had one trick left, but it would potentially touch upon a rather sensitive subject. _Well, it's worth a try. _"All right," he said. "I guess that means you don't want to hear what I've got to say."

Sirius stiffened slightly. If he was in his Animagus form, Remus knew his ears would have perked up. "And what is it you have to say, Moony?"

_And now to put a "hard to get" play into effect._ He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "If you don't want to hear it, then I'm not going to say it."

"Come on, Moony!" said Sirius, turning to face the werewolf.

"I'm sure you'll hear about it later," replied Remus aloofly.

The Animagus narrowed his eyes. "I'm _always_ hearing about everything later because no one ever tells me anything! Who am I gonna tell, Kreacher?! In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly bosom buddies—"

"I don't want to tell you," said Remus, cutting him off with a smirk.

Sirius stood up. "But I want to know!"

"Only because it's something you can't have," Remus teased.

"No, I want to know!" he exclaimed, making his way over to the door.

The werewolf turned his head away. "Sorry, Sirius."

At that, the Animagus put his hands on his friend's shoulders and shook him, but not too hard. "Remus!"

The other wizard laughed heartily. "Ouch, Padfoot, stop! You're not getting anywhere, you know," he chuckled.

Sirius glared at him. "I'll beg if I have to."

"Not a bad idea," he yawned, slowly prying the Animagus' hands from his shoulders. "But the answer's still 'no.'"

Sirius looked like he was going to start yelling, but the next moment he sighed. "Fine," he whispered with a defeated huff. He pushed passed Remus and headed for the stairs. "Go enjoy your dinner," he called over his shoulder as he started to climb to the next floor.

"Wait, Sirius," the other wizard began, but the Animagus refused to stop or turn around. Remus sighed. _Well, that didn't go as planned._

He felt bad for goading Sirius, but the wizard could be so stubborn sometimes! He had rubbed salt into a gaping wound, though. Surely this situation could be somewhat salvaged? "Padfoot," he called softly.

The use of his familiar nickname made Sirius stop two-thirds of the way up the stairs. He turned his head to indicate that he was listening, but he did not turn back or come down.

"I'm sorry," said the werewolf sadly. "See you in a few hours?"

Now Sirius felt bad. Even after all these years, Remus still questioned it. Well, considering the past 13 years, it was no wonder. But all those years before still counted for something, right?

"Of course, you idiot."

* * *

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter! I would really appreciate it if you also took a bit of time to tell me what you think. Suggestions, comments, constructive criticism, etc., are more than welcome. Flames are not. Thank you again!


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